Yesterday, 21 undocumented immigrant youth were arrested on Capitol Hill, while advocating for the DREAM Act. Putting it all the line, students disclosed their names and their undocumented status in one of the most public places in the country. After a rally in front of the Capitol, students fanned out into the Hart Senate office building to stage sit-ins at Senators’ office. These were the 21 students who were arrested.
In an act of defiance unimaginable to many in their parents’ generation, they are publicly declaring that they are in the United States illegally as a way to push for change that would help thousands of undocumented young people like them. And they are doing so in one of the most highly patrolled — and politicized — spots in the country.
“I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not afraid of someone coming in and trying to arrest me, but I can’t let that fear take over my life,” said Teodoro, 22, a student at the University of Massachusetts in Boston whose parents were deported back to Brazil a couple of years ago. “The only way of people finding out about my situation is to tell my story.” (via the Washington Post)
As of right now, all but 4 of the 21 students have been released. There will be a press conference at 11AM EST today to give an update on the situation.
Undocumented and unafraid has become the mantra of the youth immigrant rights movement in recent months, and these students are taking that to the next level. Risking arrest and deportation for the passage of the DREAM Act speaks to the urgency of the situations these students face.
Passing the DREAM Act as a stepping stone towards comprehensive reform is becoming more important than ever. Have you told your Senator yet?
Categories: DREAM, comprehensive immigration reform
