Thursday, August 29, 2013

USA: nonviolent resistance against immigrant deportations

Hundreds of activists of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition and United We Dream surrounded deportation facilities in the state capital Phoenix. Six activists sat before the deportation bus for hours until the expulsion was halted. 


The authorities arrested two, paperless Mexican-American José Patiño and UWD leader Ray José. After a long night of uninterrupted phone calls from the citizenry they were both released.

Patiño stated upon his liberation:
I am doing this because I am so fed up with people playing games with our lives," said Ray Jose. "My mom and my dad are getting tired. My dad cannot do physical labor any more. It is for the sake of my family, who sacrificed so much for me, that I am ready to do this".
Hours earlier four other DREAM activists were arrested after chaining themselves to the ICE complex. They are Yadira García, Francisco Luna, María Castro and Alejandra Sánchez. 

The essential content of these protests is anti-apartheid:
We cannot accept any legislative proposal that would amplify the pain our communities have been subjected to for decades while blocking our families from a path to citizenship," said Cristina Jiménez, Managing Director of United We Dream. "Terrorizing our communities or creating a permanent underclass is un-American and unacceptable".

The civil disobedience organizations describe themselves as follows:
The Arizona Dream Act Coalition is the largest immigrant youth led organization in the state of Arizona. Our mission is to have a nation full of educated and integrated immigrant youth. We are an affiliate of the United We Dream Network.

United We Dream is the first and largest immigrant youth-led network in the nation with 51 affiliate organizations in 25 states that organize and advocate for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status. UWD's current priority is to win citizenship for the entire undocumented community and end senseless abuses and deportations.

Source: Kasama.

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