KQED’s Shuka Kalantari just got back from the protest outside Barbara Boxer’s office in support of Shing Ma “Steve” Li. Li is a 20-year-old nursing student at City College of San Francisco and is currently being held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Arizona for being in the country illegally. Li’s lawyer, Sin Yen Ling, issued a statement Friday saying that ICE planned to deport Li to Peru on Monday. Li himself also told the Chronicle that his lawyer told him the same thing. Details on today’s protest, from Shuka Kalantari:
- Sang Chi, Li’s Asian American History instructor, said he talks to Li every couple of days. Chi said that Li told him he’s been on a hunger strike for several days.
- Roughly three dozen protesters attended, mostly students and some CCSF faculty.
- A fellow student and friend, Marilyn Luu, is in contact with Li. She found out about his detention from Li’s sister after he didn’t respond to Facebook messages. Luu then started a Facebook page in support of Li’s case.
- Sin Yen Ling, Li’s lawyer, said that she found out from a federal source, whom Ling wouldn’t name, that ICE would make a decision on Li’s tentative deportation today.