He said he would be leaving on a red-eye flight Sunday night and begin spring training with the team Monday.
"Back in baseball I knew I would play this year you just gotta believe in your dreams," he tweeted.
Canseco, who has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his 17-year career, said he still believes he has something to offer to a major league team, even if he has not played at the top level since retiring in 2001.
He spent last season with Arizona's minor-league Yuma Scorpions as a player/manager and said that experience "really rekindled my love for the game and facing the veteran players in that league made me realize that I can still hit at the major league level."
"I am grateful that Cancun has given me this opportunity and I hope to help them to a championship season and demonstrate that I can help a big league team," he added, according to Larry Brown Sports.
Our American Dream: LA Dodgers Announcer Jaime Jarrín is Señor Baseball
Canseco was a six-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion -- first with the Oakland Athletics in 1989 and then later with the Yankees in 2000.
More recently, his headlines have come from non-baseball ventures. Canseco was sued last year by a boxing promoter for sending his identical twin brother Ozzie in his place to fight in a celebrity boxing event. He also appeared on "The Celebrity Apprentice."
]]>Celebrities Who Once Were Undocumented
Rubio told the daily The Hill that for now there is nothing new to announce but that his goal is to arrive at a "responsible" solution to the presence of undocumented immigrants in the United States and announce it "quickly."
In remarks to Efe, a spokesman for Rubio, Alex Burgos, said Tuesday that the Florida senator "wants to help these young people and do it in a more limited way than the DREAM Act would do."
"He will continue working with his colleagues to achieve a bipartisan solution," Burgos added.
Rubio said in a March 1 interview with Efe that he is maintaining his commitment to achieving a bipartisan solution to illegal immigration.
Among the possible ideas he is weighing, he said at that time, is creating "a student visa so that they can stay to finish their studies until they can apply legally."
Without citing any names, Rubio also complained that some politicians, instead of conducting a bipartisan dialogue, are only seeking to use the problem of undocumented immigrants "as a political weapon in November."
]]>Amelia Montes, director of UNL’s Institute for Ethnic Studies, said Mendoza’s speech fits in with what’s happening with immigration in the U.S., citing the "stringent" laws passed in Texas, Arizona and Alabama.
Arizona passed laws in 2010 which gave local law enforcement the ability to detain anyone who did not carry immigration documentation. Texas passed laws similar to those, and last year Alabama passed laws barring immigrants from enrolling or attending college, renting property and looking for work.
"It’s a big issue right now," she said.
Mendoza’s bike ride idea came from the "anti-immigrant reverent" that took place before the 2008 presidential election. Mendoza said, instead of relying on mainstream media for what was happening with immigration, he decided to take matters into his own hands and gain what he said was "street-level understanding." One of the issues he looked at was the quality of life in rural and urban areas.
"I wanted to meet everyday people that are in the trenches," he said.
Mendoza added that the changing demographics of Latinos in this country, which people are afraid of, have been in motion for the past couple of decades, and it is not a recent effect.
When asked what his motivation was for taking a bike instead of taking a car, he said taking a bike would let him meet people in a happenstance way, and he would be forced to go inside communities he might have passed if he were inside a car.
"A bike took me off the beaten path and made me encounter people in a different way," he said.
His journey started in July of 2007 in Santa Cruz, Calif. From there Mendoza traveled to Eugene, Ore., and along the outer perimeter of the U.S. Along the way, he went to various big cities such as Chicago and Boston and traveled all the way down to the Rio Grande in Texas. What was most surprising to Mendoza was how rural areas are heavily dependant upon immigrants in local industries such as farming and meat packing.
"Lots of this work is very hard manual labor, and it’s work not many Americans want to do," he said.
Mendoza also saw integration occurring on a large scale. He said Latinos have a high intermarriage rate and some end up marrying inside of the community they migrate to. He added the mainstream media portrays people who don’t get along with immigrants when that is not the case.
"There are misconceptions that people don’t get along with immigrants and that immigrants don’t want to adapt, and that’s not true," he said.
He said there are programs set up for immigrants to adapt to the local community.
"Immigrants are being met halfway," he said.
Mendoza will speak in the Gaughan Center’s Ubuntu Room today at 3 p.m.
]]>Immigration is perhaps the one issue where the former Massachusetts governor has staked out the most conservative position in the Republican presidential field. His insistence last week - trying to tamp down a flap over his dedication to conservative principles - that he will carry his conservative stances into a general election essentially cuts off any chance he had to pivot this fall with Hispanic voters, who polls say have all but written off Mr. Romney.]]> In the grind-it-out battle for the Republican nomination, Mr. Romney has vowed to veto the so-called Dream Act that would give citizenship to many children of illegal immigrants, called Arizona’s strict immigration law a “model” for other states and welcomed endorsements from hard-liners against illegal immigration.
“We have to be honest and recognize that he is handicapped because of what was said during the debates in the primary,” said Alfonso Aguilar, a former Bush administration official who runs the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles. “He made statements basically that people who are here illegally, everyone, would have to go back, and he would create a system where they’d be encouraged to leave and self-deport.”
Mr. Aguilar said Mr. Romney still has room to embrace more moderate legal immigration policies, such as a demand-based guest-worker permit program or an increase in annual legal immigration limits. And he said Mr. Obama is also vulnerable on the issue, having failed to make good on his promise to Hispanics to pursue an immigration reform bill his first year in office.
A do-over seemed possible last week until a top aide to Mr. Romney compared the move from the primary to the general election as a political Etch-A-Sketch - the children’s toy where words and drawings can be erased with a shake of the hand, and rewritten.
Mr. Romney moved quickly to disown the analogy, saying he will take the conservative positions from the primary and run on them in the general election.
Frank Sharry, founder and executive director of America’s Voice, a pro-immigration reform group, said the incident spells trouble for Mr. Romney.
“Unless the Etch-a-Sketch comes with a time machine that let’s him go back a year, I think he’s toast,” Mr. Sharry said. “I don’t know how he gets out the corner he painted himself into.”
Hispanics are the fastest-growing segment of the electorate and a powerful voting bloc in presidential elections. George W. Bush secured 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in his successful 2000 and 2004 presidential runs. That changed in 2008 as Hispanics swung toward Mr. Obama, who pulled in 67 percent of their vote, compared to just 31 percent for Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
In a nationwide Fox News poll released this month, 70 percent of Hispanics said they would vote for Mr. Obama and 14 percent for Mr. Romney in a head-to-head matchup. Meanwhile, nine out of 10 Hispanic U.S. citizens said they support the Dream Act, while eight in 10 said they support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Alberto Martinez, a Romney campaign spokesman, said Hispanic voters care about issues other than immigration, and will be drawn to Mr. Romney’s plans for the economy.
“Unlike President Obama, who has sought to divide and pander to the Hispanic community, Gov. Romney will appeal to Hispanics just as he appeals to all voters - by outlining an optimistic vision of economic growth, freedom and opportunity,” Mr. Martinez said.
Still, the troubling poll numbers have generated calls from some in the GOP for Mr. Romney to tap Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida - who is Cuban-American - as his running mate. But Mr. Aguilar questioned whether the Florida lawmaker would have much appeal to Hispanics in the Southwest and elsewhere.
Sponsored Link: Do you have this “currency“ in your emergency survival kit? When disaster strikes you should have a 72-hour kit you can grab at a moment’s notice. But in addition to food and water, there’s a unique “currency“ you should have in your kit. Click here to find out what it is.
]]>Mr. Gutierrez said, “I founded Progreso Financiero to increase access to capital for hard-working, Latino families and prove that, while many lack formal collateral, they are indeed credit-worthy. Together with a talented and dedicated team, we’ve built an amazing, purposeful company and delivered financial empowerment to lower-income Latinos across the US. Helping the company grow and change lives as its CEO and Founder for seven years was an incredibly rewarding experience and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. I am now moving on to start my next chapter in financial services and payments and am confident that Progreso is well positioned for many years of continued success.”
Since founding Progreso in 2005, Gutierrez oversaw the company’s growth while it made more than 250,000 loans, expanded to 83 locations across California and Texas, raised more than $240 million in debt and equity capital, grew to 600 employees, and extended $260 million in capital to underserved Hispanic families.
“James as founder of Progreso made a lasting and profound impact on the Latino community in the United States, helping thousands of families establish credit and move into the financial mainstream,” said, former California Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez. “James provided the founding vision for Progreso and developed an unrivaled model of responsible and innovative community lending for a fast growing, yet often ignored Latino population. As one of only a handful of Latino CEOs in Silicon Valley, James is a community role model and his political prowess on both the Federal and State levels truly leveled the playing field for equal access and opportunity at critical regulatory junctures. With his innovative drive and passion for helping his Latino community, I am reassured his work on behalf of lower-income families will continue on many groundbreaking undertakings yet to come.”
Clay Wilkes, CEO of Galileo, a leading payments processor, added: “James is a trailblazer in the credit and payments industry. He nearly reinvented unsecured lending and his leadership put Progreso on the map. Executing on James’ vision, the company has achieved tremendous traction and success in lending to customers with thin or no credit files, deploying its sophisticated credit risk algorithms, and growing an award winning Hispanic prepaid debit card business. He was able to do this keeping the customer perspective foremost and in a very difficult regulatory climate. Just as important, James has recruited a strong executive team, which will enable Progreso to continue its growth and serve the Hispanic community on a national basis. We are eager to see what James will do next and hope to work with him on his next venture.”
“Replicating the success of Progreso from a social impact and entrepreneurial perspective won’t be easy but that’s what I want to do. Fortunately I’ve learned many lessons and am excited about applying them to new social ventures in the credit and payments industry,” Gutierrez said.
About James Gutierrez - James is a leading social entrepreneur, investor and innovator in financial services serving the unbanked and lower-income. In 2005, James founded Progreso Financiero to bring micro-lending to the US Hispanic community and help thousands of families build credit and achieve their economic dreams. Since 2006, Progreso has made over 250,000 loans, grown to 600 employees and 83 store locations in California and Texas, been certified by US Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), and secured over $240 million in venture capital and debt funding. As a member of the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council, James has helped pioneer new policies on financial empowerment for America’s lower-income. In 2010, he helped draft and pass a new law (SB 1146) designed to increase the availability of safe and affordable small dollar loans in California. James serves on the boards of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), the Association for Enterprise Opporunity, the Latino Community Foundation (LCF), and Core Innovation Capital. In 2010, Business Week selected James as one of America’s most promising social entrepreneurs. He also received the Rising Star Award from the Robert Toigo Foundation and was selected among 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America by Hispanic Business Magazine. James received his MBA from Stanford and a B.A. in Economics from Yale University. James is a member of YPO’s Golden Gate Chapter and he and his wife, Katja Bjorner, live in San Francisco.
]]> Patriots, Brady continue to manage QB's left shoulder injury
Kraft calls Pats his 'savior,' opens up on WR Welker's future
Giants' Ballard has knee procedure, listed as questionable
Four-time champ Wright to old team: 'Kick (Giants') face in'
La cantidad de agentes desde 2004 se ha incrementado hasta 21 mil elementos. Además, se tiene cubierta una tercera parte de la frontera con cercas y otras barreras físicas, y se ha invertido en cámaras y sensores. Grandes avances en la tecnología para el manejo de las huellas digitales han mejorado ampliamente la inteligencia que se aplica a los que cruzan la frontera.
En el año fiscal 2011, los agentes fronterizos hicieron 327 mil 577 detenciones en la frontera con México, un descenso del 80 por ciento en comparación con las más de 1.6 millones en 2000. Fue el año menos activo para la Patrulla Fronteriza desde 1971.
Es un avance enorme en comparación con sólo unos años atrás. Los agentes de mayor edad recuerdan haber sido tan ampliamente superados en número que veían impotentes cómo los inmigrantes cruzaban sin autorización, minutos después de haberlos atrapado y dejado en el cruce fronterizo más cercano.
Mike Fisher, jefe de la Patrulla Fronteriza y miembro de la fuerza desde 1987, recuerda haber aprehendido al mismo inmigrante 10 veces en un turno de ocho horas cuando era un agente joven.
]]>El "Sistema de Aplicación de Consecuencias" —una parte crucial de la nueva estrategia nacional a ser anunciada en semanas— se apoya en gran medida en herramientas que han sido utilizadas y ampliadas durante la última década en partes de la frontera.
]]> Clasifica en siete categorías a los que cruzan la franja fronteriza, las cuales van desde los que lo hacen por primera vez hasta personas con antecedentes penales.Los castigos varían según la región, pero hay un común denominador: el último recurso es el sólo deportar a la gente tras tomarle sus huellas digitales. Algunos, entre ellos los niños y los que están enfermos, todavía recibirán un pase gratuito al ser deportados en el cruce fronterizo más cercano, pero serán pocos y espaciados entre sí.
La práctica vigente por mucho tiempo de deportar a los inmigrantes sin que éstos hayan recibido castigo alguno, conocida como "regresos voluntarios", es la menos costosa... y también la menos efectiva.
Serían enjuiciados por un delito grave
Para los que violan la ley por primera vez, una buena opción es someterlos a juicio, y también muchas veces se les envía a la Ciudad de México con un boleto sin regreso. Para los traficantes de personas, la mejor opción es que sean enjuiciados en México.
En los últimos años la Patrulla Fronteriza ha puesto en marcha bastantes mecanismos nuevos sin dar mucha consideración en cuanto a si un infractor de primera vez merece un trato distinto al de un inmigrante que ha reincidido en sus intentos por ingresar al país.
Ahora, quienes cruzan por primera vez enfrentan un tratamiento diferente que aquellos que han sido sorprendidos dos o tres veces. Quien lo haga por cuarta vez enfrenta otras penas.
Las consecuencias pueden ser severas para los inmigrantes detenidos y costosas para los contribuyentes estadounidenses. Los inmigrantes que carecen de permiso de residencia pueden ser enjuiciados por un delito grave o ser trasladados a una ciudad fronteriza desconocida para ellos a cientos de kilómetros de distancia a fin de regresarlos a México.
Así, estos inmigrantes quedan fuera del alcance de los traficantes de personas que los ayudaron a cruzar la frontera, cuyos cobros típicos han sufrido un incremento astronómico de precio a entre tres mil 200 y tres mil 500 dólares, y cada vez es más frecuente que les exijan el pago por adelantado en lugar de cobrarles tras llevarlos a territorio estadounidense, afirmó Fisher.
Deberán colaborar otras agencias
Fisher admitió que la nueva estrategia depende en gran medida de otras agencias. Los fiscales federales deben primero acceder a tomar los casos. El servicio de Inmigración y Aduanas debe tener suficiente capacidad en sus centros de detenciones.
En el sur de California, la fiscalía federal no participa en un programa de la Patrulla Fronteriza que somete a un proceso judicial incluso a quienes son capturados por primera vez, con cargos que conllevan hasta seis meses de cárcel, y en lugar de ello opta por procesar solamente los casos más graves, entre ellos los de personas que han efectuado cruces múltiples y las que tienen antecedentes penales.
Laura Duffy, fiscal federal en San Diego, dijo que las limitaciones de recursos, entre ellas una falta de capacidad en los centros de detención, la obligan a tomar las decisiones.
"(En California) no se ha acostumbrado enjuiciar a personas que emigran por motivos económicos que carecen de antecedentes delictivos, las cuales vienen a Estados Unidos a trabajar o a estar con sus familias", dijo Duffy. "Sí buscamos detener a las personas que contrabandean a esos individuos".
Fisher preferiría que más casos fuesen enjuiciados al sur de la frontera, pero el gobierno mexicano solamente puede procesar judicialmente a los contrabandistas: el contrabando de inmigrantes es ilegal en México, pero no lo es el cruzar ilegalmente hacia Estados Unidos.
]]>"Existen varios problemas con las condiciones de la cárcel, no tienen un área externa para que los reos puedan hacer ejercicio, no se permiten visitas de contacto físico con familiares y se limitan las visitas con los abogados", explicó López.
Añadió que se han reportado incidentes de casos de abuso verbal contra los detenidos, quejas de que la comida es insuficiente y de poca calidad, así como deficiencias en el acceso al cuidado médico.
"Hemos escuchado en varias ocasiones que el Gobierno federal ha dicho que hará reformas a los centros de detenciones de inmigrantes, pero en esta cárcel no han cumplido con ellas", enfatizó la activista.
El centro en cuestión se encuentra en la ciudad de Florence y cuenta con 625 camas por las que el Gobierno federal paga al condado Pinal para recluir a inmigrantes indocumentados que se encuentran principalmente apelando su deportación y solicitando asilo político.
"Los inmigrantes que se encuentran aquí pasan varios meses o inclusive años en lo que un juez de inmigración decide sobre su caso", finalizó López.
]]>El candidato del PLD para las próximas elecciones presidenciales del 20 de mayo, estuvo arropado también por varios embajadores de la República Dominicana en Europa, así como por el ministro dominicano de Turismo, Francisco Javier García, coordinador de su campaña y miembro del comité político.
Aclamado por sus compatriotas, Medina agradeció el respaldo que estaba recibiendo durante su viaje a España y pidió disculpas a los dominicanos residentes en otros países de Europa por no haber podido acudir a visitarlos.
"No quiero que me suceda lo mismo que a Mejía", dijo refiriéndose a su contrincante en las elecciones presidenciales, "que estuvo 21 días en Europa cuando tenía los números a su favor y, cuando regresó, ya habían cambiado".
En ese sentido remarcó los resultados de las últimas encuestas realizadas en su país, que desde noviembre pasado le atribuyen una ventaja sobre su rival "de entre el 6 y el 13 por ciento".
"Hace cinco meses la candidatura de Mejía ganaba 64 contra 30, pero hoy la cosa es completamente diferente", puntualizó.
El candidato del PLD dijo ser consciente de estar "despertando fe y esperanza en sus compatriotas", y aseguró que, si gana, hará todo lo posible para "no darles ninguna razón para que se arrepientan de haberme votado".
"La verdad es que yo seré el nuevo presidente porque los pueblos no se suicidan. El país ha avanzado como nunca en su historia con el PLD y los que tengan la oportunidad de volver se darán cuenta de que la obra de Leonel Fernández está en todas partes", afirmó.
Y así como el actual presidente dominicano "cambió el rostro físico del país", prosiguió, "a mí me tocará cambiar el rostro de la gente".
Para ello, Medina se comprometió a trabajar por la educación infantil, las pensiones y los seguros de salud para los ancianos y a conseguir acabar con la inmigración o, en todo caso, que sea "un asunto voluntario".
Así pues, apeló a sus compatriotas en el exterior a que ayuden a su partido a conseguir dos diputados que les representen en el Parlamento dominicano, puestos para los que hoy fueron proclamados oficialmente candidatos Marco Cross y Katty Colón.
"Matemáticamente los votos para ganar están ahí, pero ahora tenemos que animar a la gente a que acuda a votar", señaló.
Por eso, Medina explicó a sus compatriotas residentes en el exterior que en las próximas elecciones se utilizarán dos papeletas diferentes, una para elegir presidente y vicepresidente, y otra para los diputados en el exterior.
"Me voy de España con una inyección de energía y con ella seguiré trabajando desde la República Dominicana, pero a Europa volverá a reunirse con ustedes Margarita Cedeño (primera dama del país y candidata a la vicepresidencia del Gobierno). Pido el mismo apoyo para ella", anunció.
En su visita a España, que finaliza este domingo, el candidato del PLD se reunió con empresarios españoles y visitó el expositor de la República Dominicana en la Feria Internacional de Turismo de Madrid (Fitur).
También conoció las instalaciones de Mercamadrid, el centro de distribución de alimentos de la capital española.
]]>Aunque requiera viajar al extranjero, esto creará un proceso racionalizado donde el perdón se decidiría antes de que el individuo indocumentado salga de los Estados Unidos. Consecuentemente, esto permitirá una residencia permanente para alguien que entro ilegalmente, sin la incertidumbre y tiempo separado de sus seres queridos bajo el sistema actual.
]]>Step 1: Unite our Community by Embracing our Cultural Values.
Hispanics must accept that our cultural roots are sources of strength rather than barriers to advancement. We must become more aware of the responsibility our community has as our economic impact grows in purchasing power, population, etc. The more responsible and united Hispanics are, the stronger our voice becomes.
Step 2: Empower our Talent by Activating our Authentic Hispanic Leadership.
Hispanics must stop assimilating, being what others want them to be. Rather we must empower ourselves by celebrating our unique immigrant perspective in our leadership style.
Step 3: Expand our Impact and Influence to Cultivate Economic Growth.
Hispanics must become thought-leaders that represent the voices of all minority groups that are faced with similar challenges. Hispanics must become extended "brand assets" for the organizations we lead and serve to help them create new areas for growth. The more Hispanic can influence business growth, the more influential Hispanics become as leaders in America. This naturally will impact the growth of our economy and create a visible track record that makes Hispanics more attractive participants in Washington.
Newtown New Fairfield Stamford Peach Lake Peekskill Purdy Putnam Lake Sandy Hook Scarsdale Sleepy Hollow Valhalla Verplanck Wappingers Falls Westchester White Plains