Thread: 145 immigration activists arrested in front of White House

145 immigration activists arrested in front of W.H.

By SEUNG MIN KIM | 8/28/14 4:34 PM EDT

More than 140 immigration activists were arrested in front of the White House on Thursday as they loudly protested President Barack Obama over deportations of undocumented immigrants.

The scores of arrests, which come as Obama is preparing to unveil changes to his deportation and immigration policies, amounted to one of the largest shows of civil disobedience at the White House over immigration.

“Today, on this national day to fight for families, we call on President Obama to do everything in his power to enact humane and compassionate administrative relief that will end our suffering,” said Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA de Maryland, a Latino advocacy group that organized Thursday’s demonstration.

(PHOTOS: Deportation rally at the White House)

The midday demonstration began at the headquarters of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in southwest Washington, where the hundreds gathered to chant: “Si se puede!” and “Not one more!” and children wore T-shirts that pleaded: “Don’t Deport My Mom.”

The activists then walked on streets that had been blocked off by police to the White House — about a mile and a half from ICE’s offices — with the protesters leading the march hauling a banner that read: “Pres. Obama Stop Deporting.”

When they reached 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — still chanting — the large group of activists blocked a significant portion of the sidewalk in front of the White House as they continued to protest, prompting the arrests.

(Also on POLITICO: Dems paint GOP as shutdown party)

The U.S. Park Police said in a statement that 145 people were arrested and charged with blocking passage — a citation that carries a $50 fine. The protesters were being processed at the Park Police facility in Anacostia Park, and the sidewalk in front of the White House reopened around 3:15 p.m.

Obama is expected to make highly-anticipated administrative moves on immigration sometime in September. Activists are calling on Obama to provide the broadest executive action possible, such as expanding a program that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportations to millions more who are living here without legal status.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/0...wh-110425.html

What a lying deceptive piece of political theater. The most deceitful President and his junta doing every thing possible to cram illegal aliens into American society and giving them permanent residency has protesters screaming them for faux efforts to enforce immigration laws and deportations. PLEASE SPARE ME THIS PHONEY THEATER. These activities to are purely staged events to protect Obama from a popular backlash against the uncontrolled, overwhelming government facilitation of illegal immigration by puke Obama.

By Andrea Noble - The Washington Times - Thursday, August 28, 2014


Photo by: Evan Vucci
Demonstrators are lined up outside the White House in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2014, as they are being arrested during a protest on immigration reform. With impeachment threats and potential lawsuits looming, President Barack Obama knows whatever executive actions he takes on immigration will face intense opposition. So as a self-imposed, end-of-summer deadline to act approaches, Obama's lawyers are carefully crafting a legal rationale they believe will withstand scrutiny and survive any court challenges, administration officials say. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Park Police will not check the immigration status of the 145 people arrested outside of the White House Thursday during a protest against the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Park Police arrested the protesters Thursday afternoon for blocking the sidewalk outside the White House during their demonstration.

As part of the standard procedure, those arrested will be have their criminal histories checked as police search for any outstanding warrants, said Park Police spokesman Lt. Richard Butler said.

"The only time immigration ever comes up is if there has been a hit or a flag that has come up from other departments," Lt. Butler said.

It was unknown whether any of the 145 people arrested were illegal immigrants and would have been at any risk of deportation.

A spokeswoman for Casa de Maryland, which organized the rally, said the organization offered a legal intake service to rally participants ahead of the demonstration to advise protesters of their legal status so they would be aware of the potential risks of getting involved in the protest.

"We have a group who is undocumented and they really wanted to do it," said Casa spokeswoman Susana Flores, who estimated that up to 1,000 demonstrators attended the protest.

The protest began Thursday morning outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters and before demonstrators marched to the White House to demand that action be taken on immigration reform.

As of late Thursday afternoon, some of the arrested protesters had been released from the Park Police booking facility after paying the $50 fines for the offense.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...cumentation-c/

ICE Officers Ordered to Stay Away From Huge Immigration Rally in Front of Headquarters

Aug. 28, 2014 11:06am Sara Carter
The Blaze

More than 2,000 immigration rights activists are expected to march from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in Washington, D.C., to the White House Thursday in support of immigration reform and to fight deportation of families living illegally in the United States.

The rally comes amid speculation that President Obama may take executive action to halt deportations if Congress fails to pass an immigration reform bill.

Casa de Maryland, a nonprofit immigrant rights advocacy group, is leading the rally, set to begin at 11 a.m. in front of ICE’s Potomac Center North building on 12th Street. Senior ICE leadership directed employees and law enforcement officers not to confront the protesters and to enter the building through a back entrance, according to an internal memo obtained by TheBlaze.

ICE Assistant Directory Timothy Moynihan, who heads the Office of Professional Responsibility, directed employees not to “engage in verbal or physical confrontation” with activists.

“As with any pre-approved demonstrations, there is always the possibility of additional spontaneous demonstrations,” the memo said. “ICE employees entering or departing PCN should not engage in verbal or physical confrontation with participants.”

Immigrant advocacy groups like Casa de Maryland have protested against U.S. policies that require returning illegal immigrants to their homeland. Over the past year, nearly 60,000 illegal immigrant children, largely from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, have poured across the southern border expecting they will be allowed to stay, and creating what the Obama administration has called a humanitarian crisis.

An ICE officer speaking to TheBlaze on the condition that they not be named said, “our hands have been tied by the administration and that in essence that amnesty already exists.”

The officer said that in previous protests the “large majority of the protestors are illegal and ICE officers are forbidden by their senior officials from making arrests or even engaging in any form of communication with the protestors.”

“We’re a big joke to these immigrant rights groups and the illegal immigrants know were not allowed to do anything,” the officer said. “So basically, we have to use a back door and let activists, many who are illegal, stand in front of our building and protest the law. We have to sit there and watch, we have to suck it up and know that regardless of the law, groups like Casa can pretty much dictate policy and do whatever they want.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014...-headquarters/