FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: W. Patrick Bryan, Director of Communications
Email:
PARSIPPANY, NJ — As part of Lambda Theta Phi’s Lambdas for Immigration Reform initiative, Lambda Theta Phi is raising awareness around the issues with deportation in our current immigration policy.
On April 15, 2014, Lambda Theta Phi Founding Father Rey J. Lago and his spouse, Mario H. Flores, went to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Newark, NJ in regard to Rinaldo Lago’s I-130 for Alien Relative/Spouse petition. A committed couple for almost 7 years, they were legally married on May 17, 2013. While the I-130 petition was approved and would pave the way for Mario H. Flores to eventually regain his legal status, Mario H. Flores was arrested and is currently being detained and incarcerated awaiting deportation.
Mario’s father brought him from Peru to the United States at the age of 18 as a permanent resident. At the age of 20, Mario was found guilty of 3 misdemeanor counts, for shoplifting some clothes which together amounted to a couple hundred dollars. The clothing was retained by the stores, and he paid the fines and penalties to the court. As a result of the recently enforced law by the administration, any immigrant with any record violation (except speeding/traffic tickets), can be arrested and jailed for deportation. Mario H. Flores currently sits in the Essex County Correctional Facility awaiting his deportation.
It is with frustration that the brothers of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. ask for the immediate release of Mario H. Flores for humanitarian reasons, and have all deportation proceedings halted. We ask the media, fraternity and sorority members, college students, community leaders and fellow citizens to support our campaign, Stop the deportation of Mario H. Flores by signing our online petition at http://bit.ly/releasemarioflores and by organizing or participating in our rallies throughout the state of New Jersey beginning on May 3, 2014. Founding Father Agustin “Gus” Garcia will speak throughout New Jersey in the month of May for the release of Mario H. Flores.
PETITION TO RELEASE MARIO H. FLORES
Lambda Theta Phi asks that all fraternity and sorority members throughout the nation wear their affiliation paraphernalia on campus and around the community in support of Mario H. Flores. We encourage everyone to post your support throughout social media platforms (Facebook, twitter, Instagram), including pictures of your letters, supporting messages, rallies, petition drives, etc. using the hashtags #RELEASEMARIOFLORES and #LAMBDAS. For updated information, please visit The Quest online (http://quest.lambda1975.org) or our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/lambda1975).
National Affiliation Day
Monday, May 5th
On local college campuses everywhere
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Founded on December 1, 1975 at Kean University in Union, New Jersey, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. is the first nationally recognized Greek-letter organization founded as a Latin fraternity. The membership of Lambda Theta Phi is open to all college men who support its values of scholarship, respect for all cultures, community service, and the advancement and fair treatment of Latinos in the United States. Lambda Theta Phi was the first Latin Fraternity to be recognized by the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), and has over 140 Chapters and Colonies across the United States. More information about Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. can be found at www.Lambda1975.org.