Yesterday, more than 1,000 working families, civil rights activists, students, faith leaders and community allies came together at Lafayette Square to rally and send President Obama an important message: stop the deportations.
The hundreds of demonstrators were joined by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) who was among a dozen of immigrant advocates that broke off from the crowd, sat down next to the White House’s perimeter security fence and were arrested. During the arrests, people chanted “Obama, yes we can” and hold signs reading “No more BROKEN promises. No more broken FAMILIES,” and “1 million deported under president Obama. Stop the deportations.”
After the arrest, Rep. Gutierrez declared:
“The president says Republicans are blocking immigration reform and he’s right, but it doesn’t get him off the hook. Everyone knows he has the power to stop deporting children and others with deep roots in the U.S. and we think he should use it.”
Indeed, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), deportations under president Obama’s watch have reached the 1 million mark, more than any preceding administration. Even more that under the Bush administration. This figure includes hard-working non-criminal immigrants, DREAMers, and family members of U.S citizens, who are victims of our outdated immigration system.
However, as the rally was taking place in front of the White House, Andy Mathe was about to board a plane to South Africa. He was deported after his family’s request for deferred action was denied by ICE. The Mathe family has lived in Atlanta, Georgia after fleeing South Africa in 2007.
Andy’s father fled Rwanda because of genocide occurring in that country to settle in South Africa as a political refugee. In South Africa, His father and mother, Hope, married and the family began to build their life together. Soon after, the family began to receive death threats and narrowly avoided the kidnapping of their daughter. So, once again, the Mathe family made the decision to escape their dangerous situation and come to the United States. Once here, the Mathe family requested asylum but were denied despite the evidence that they were at danger.
Yesterday, Andy Mathe was deported to South Africa, where he faces death if he is found by the people who continue to target his family. Now, the rest of the family is at risk of being deported. The family is asking for the opportunity to live safely in the United States; a country they consider their home.
We need President Obama to listen to us, and the people at the rally yesterday. Mr. President, please stop these deportations.
Categories: Action, Civil Disobedience, enforcement, immigrant rights, immigrant stories
