With the clock kicking, thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and allies rallied in Washington, D.C., today and in cities across the nation to demand Congress act now on legislation to protect undocumented immigrant youth and TPS families. On the steps of the nation’s capitol building, an estimated 200 demonstrators, including California Congresswoman Judy Chu and Illinois Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, were arrested in a historic act of civil disobedience:
Staff with San Jose-based SIREN traveled to the nation’s capital Tuesday to join demonstrators, while DACA youth and immigration advocates held a phone bank at the organization’s headquarters on Koll Circle.
In Modesto, where the organization has another office, activists planned to gather outside Rep. Jeff Denham’s office Wednesday, urging him and other GOP colleagues to vote on a “clean” Dream Act bill. By that, they mean the legislation wouldn’t be used as a bargaining chip to advance other policies, such as funding a border wall and increasing border security.
“Young voters are engaged and mobilizing around passing a clean Dream Act because they understand that this fight is not about politics—it is about people,” said DACA recipient and California youth organizing director at NextGen America, Raul Preciado. “This fight is about their family members, friends, and neighbors.”
Peaceful demonstrators traveled to D.C. from numerous states including New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin, with immigrant rights leaders from Congress, including California Sen. Kamala Harris, speaking in support of TPS families and a DREAM Act now. “California is home to 220,000 DACA recipients,” said Sen. Harris. “Many of them were young children when they were brought here, some before they could walk or talk. We must pass the Dream Act now.”
Recently, the Trump administration announced that TPS would be ending for an estimated 50,000 Haitians currently living in the U.S. by July 2019, and the fate of tens of thousands of others with similar protections remains up in the air. In September, the Trump administration also announced the end of DACA, and since then, more than 11,000 young immigrants have lost their work permits and protection from deportation. 122 continue to lose their status every single day.
But undocumented immigrant youth have huge momentum behind them as well. Nearly 90 percent of Americans, according to one poll, want them to stay. Undocumented immigrant youth and allies are continuing to lobby members of Congress, and we must all do our part by making a call to Congress today to demand protections for Dreamers and a vote for the DREAM Act now.