Fresno State Student Body President Is Illegal Immigrant
FRESNO (AP) -- The popular student body president at California State University, Fresno has publicly revealed what he had long sought to keep secret: He's an illegal immigrant.
Pedro Ramirez, 23, previously told campus administrators in confidence that he had been afraid to go public about his status.
But that changed Tuesday after The Collegian, the campus newspaper at the largest university in California's prolific farming region, disclosed his status after receiving an anonymous e-mail.
"I have been hiding in the shadow, I have been hiding part of me since I was in high school," he told the newspaper.
Ramirez offered no immediate comment on the situation in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
No immediate rallies or protests were staged in reaction to the revelation. However, Ramirez was expected to lead a campus event Friday in support of the federal "DREAM Act," which would create a path to citizenship for young people living in the country illegally who attend college or join the military.
Ramirez, who has a dual major in political science and agricultural economics, was brought to the U.S. from a small community in Jalisco, Mexico, when he was 3. He went on to become valedictorian of his high school class in nearby Tulare County, where he prepared for his "long road in higher education," according to his website. He has said didn't know he was an illegal immigrant until he began applying to colleges.
"As a college student, I took it upon myself to build my future and work toward my goals in life," Ramirez said on the website, where he details his dream to be a civil rights attorney. "Hopefully the future is looking good, I am trying to build myself up and we will see."
Ramirez told Fresno State officials about his status earlier this year, only after he won the election to serve as president of the local chapter of Associated Students Inc.
Administrators verified he would break no campus or student leadership rules by winning the position, but encouraged him to take on the role as a volunteer because he couldn't legally accept payment, said Paul Oliaro, university vice president for student affairs.
"I think it does suggest that even though a student may be undocumented, they have a lot to contribute to the campus and come with skills, knowledge and a willingness to serve," Oliaro said.
Ramirez benefits from a law that allows all California residents, regardless of immigration status, to qualify for in-state tuition rates.
The state's high court upheld the law this week.
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