Statement in Support of File #060234 - Eddy Zheng (Pang)

March 6, 2006

The San Francisco Youth Commission unanimously supports Xiao Fei ("Eddy") Zheng's (File #060234) application to remain lawfully in the United States, and strongly urges the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to exercise full discretion for this allowance of extraordinary circumstance.

Deporting Zheng from the United States stands in direct opposition to the Commission's commitment in supporting the welfare of San Francisco's children and youth. Punishing Zheng is punishing youth.

Zheng illustrates full rehabilitation and self-actualized achievement that is rarely, if never, seen from incarceration efforts. In serving a nineteen year term for an unsuccessful kidnapping for the purpose of robbery, a crime committed at 16 years old, one that he was wrongfully tried as an adult, and in which he has expressed profound remorse for, Zheng, a monolingual, teenage immigrant from China transformed himself into a model prisoner and citizen. He not only learned English, obtained various academic degrees, but also served as a leader and organizer for San Quentin's activities, such as the creation of anti-violence workshops, ethnic studies curricula, and slam poetry classes, all of which had won him the esteem and admiration of his peers, prison guards, and San Quentin volunteers.

Most importantly, Zheng's firm conviction of dedicating his life and actions to encouraging and helping similarly at-risk young people rest at the crux of the Youth Commission's grounds to advocate for his remaining in the country. While in prison, Zheng designed a seventy-paged intervention curriculum to address Asian American youth and has been adopted by leading Asian American community-based organizations as a successful tool. Tellingly, outstanding community leaders have offered Zheng the opportunity to work with at-risk youth because of such original insight, experienced authenticity, and genuine change upon the completion of his term.

Troublingly so, current government entities may not permit Zheng to stay and therefore contribute to society because of court decisions to remove non-citizens convicted of felonies before 1996 from the United States. Such a decision is a double punishment for Zheng and many others who have already served in prison, only to be deported upon their release. Moreover, such a decision counters the original aims of rehabilitation, and acts as a gross disservice to the approximate $500,000 spent on Zheng in time, effort, and resources. Most compellingly, Zheng's deportation will punish the many youth who are in dire need of support, guidance, and intervention from credible and effective role models.

As such, the Youth Commission shares in the similar commitment with other community and political leaders in advocating for Zheng's application to remain in the United States. We believe that Zheng provides hope and the necessary tools to empower today's youth.