 Dec. 6, 2017
- Several thousand
immigrants and supporters rallied on Capitol Hill, demanding that
Congress pass the DREAM Act (Development,
Relief,
and
Education
for
Alien
Minors
Act). Organizers reported that more than 70 buses brought
protesters from 21 states (+).
After listening to leaders and
activists speak in Senate Park, the group crossed Constitution Ave. to
the U.S. Capitol, where some engaged in a civil disobedience action,
occupying the Senate steps. This led to the arrest of 182
people, including U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Judy Chu
(D-IL). There is sense of urgency in immigrant communities after
the Trump Administration
announced on
Sept.
5,
2017 that it will
rescind
the
Deferred Action for Childhoold
Arrivals (DACA) program
in
six
months, affecting almost 800,000 young people. The
administration
has
also
announced
it
is
terminating Temporary
Protected Status (TPS) for people from Sudan, Nicaragua and
Haiti. FIRM (a project of the
Center for Community Change), CASA/Casa in Action, SEIU and United We
Dream organized the "Rally to
Defend Our Immigrant Families." |
