Alonso Chehade

Jorge-Alonso Chehade (; born February 20,1987), best known as Alonso Chehade, is an alumni from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, best-known for his immigration case and his fight against deportation from the United States. He recently founded and currently runs Dreamers for Positive Change, a project in development for youth involvement in politics and social issues, and currently working in support of the Dream Act and Comprehensive Immigration Reform .

Early Life
Alonso Chehade was born at "Virgen del Carmen" Hospital in San Isidro, Lima, Peru. On 1998 his father's human resources business failed and after three years of fighting against age discrimination in employment, a corrupt business environment and an stagnated economy; Alonso's father decided to move the family to the United States.
The family attempted immigrating to the United States through Alonso's aunt, a U.S citizen, with an immigrant visa petition, I-130 Petition for Alien Relative. After learning about the petition's approximate waiting time of 10 to 11 years before approval, the family immigrated to the United States on 2001 through a B-2 Visitors Visa, when Alonso was 14 years old.
Alonso attended North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, Washington. In high school he played on the soccer team as a right wing and a defensive midfielder. During his senior he enrolled in the running start program and attended Olympic Community College graduating from high school with honors.
After community college Alonso transferred to the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, where he majored in business administration with a focus on entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, motivated by his fascination for psychology and his inherited parents' entrepreneurial spirit. During college he was Chief Marketing Officer through a school project of U-Nights Entertainment, a nightlife event planning company, volunteer team chair of the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition 2009, team ambassador of the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition 2008, VP of External Relations of the Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Club, and member of the Hispanic Business Student Association. Alonso's parents paid for all his tuition and to earn money for his books, rent and living expenses, Alonso founded and ran DRY Mobile Wash, a mobile Eco-friendly auto detailing service that featured and sold its own waterless car wash formula, worked as an independent private tutor, and sometimes worked in side jobs such as gigs in entertainment and product promotions, paid research studies, gardening and moving services.
Alonso is the first member of his family to attend college. After graduation Alonso decided to partner with a well connected local DJ to create an event planning entertainment company which ended its development after Alonso's immigration incident in the Canadian Border.
Immigration Case
On the morning of March 15, 2009, after leaving a friend's house in Bellingham and heading back to Seattle, Alonso and a friend, not being familiar with the area, took a wrong turn on the highway. By the time they noticed they were heading north rather than south, there was one more exit to turn around before the border. This was blocked by construction which left them no choice except to enter Canada and turn around behind the port of entry to return to the United States. Alonso was stopped by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities after discovering that he was in the United States with an overstayed visa, and was charged and arrested for unlawful presence in the United States , and sent to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. After two weeks, Alonso was released due to support letters of family and friends, and his parents, who posted a $7,500 bail bond.
On an immigration court hearing in May 28, 2009 Alonso was granted voluntary departure by September 25,2009. On June 18, 2009, Alonso and friend, Krista Jensen, began a campaign to stop his deportation that gained two pro-bono attorneys, Shannon Underwood and Karol Brown partners at the Global Justice Law Group PLLC, and local and national support through the use of social media that lead to a lot of local media attention. On September 15,2009 a deferred action request was submitted, and 17 inches of faxed letters were sent from local and national support including Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Congressman Jim McDermott, and other important political figures; the local immigration authorities denied the request on September 23, 2009. On the same day, Congressman McDermott introduced a private bill on Alonso's behalf attempting to deferred his deportation which failed after stagnating for consideration.
On September 24, 2009, Alonso's deportation was delayed to November 16, 2009 by a sua sponte legal filing from the Global Justice Law Group. On November 10, 2009 the Department of Homeland Security granted Alonso an extension until January 5, 2009 after a meeting between Senator Cantwell and Assistant Secretary of homeland security, John T. Morton.
On December 2, 2009, Senator Cantwell pressed on Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, to revisit Alonso's case, which she agreed to review.
On January 4,2010, the Department of Homeland Security grants Alonso a second extension until February 15, 2010. Alonso qualifies for the Dream Act, a proposed federal legislation currently co-sponsored by Senator Cantwell, which is why she is currently and still discussing the possibility on introducing a private bill on Alonso's behalf to deferred his deportation if no other options.

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