Thread: Young immigrants arrested in Charlotte at sit-in to protest

Young immigrants arrested in Charlotte at sit-in to protest immigration laws
By: BERTRAND M. GUTIERREZ | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: September 06, 2011
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CHARLOTTE About 15 young people, including at least seven who are not authorized to be in the U.S., were arrested on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and impeding traffic during a sit-in rally Tuesday to protest immigration laws.
Among those arrested was Martin Rodriguez of Hamptonville who is a member of a Yadkinville immigrant advocacy group called El Cambio.
The rally was held just after a preview kickoff rally held separately by the Democratic National Convention in advance of the 2012 presidential nominating convention that will be held in Charlotte.
Before he was arrested, rally organizer Domenic Powell, a founding member of the advocacy group N.C. Dream Team, said, "This is what we have to do because these are young people whose lives are in limbo. If Democrats think we're going to go with them, they need to remember they're dealing with idealistic young people with nothing to lose."
Several hundred people, many of them young immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age by their families, gathered for the rally at Central Piedmont Community College in downtown Charlotte, about a mile from the DNC convention gathering.
The rally group marched together to East Fourth Street and South Kings Avenues, stood in the road to stop traffic, then held a sit-in in the intersection for about 20 minutes before police began arresting them.
As Powell was led to a police van with his arms held behind his back by a police wristband, the crowd chanted "Undocumented," and Powell yelled in response at the top of his lungs, "Unafraid!"
Earlier, Powell said young people who have grown up as Americans after being brought to the U.S. by their parents need a pathway to correct their immigration status.
"These people are not criminals. They're being made criminals," Powell said. Being in the country without authorization is a civil offense, rather than a criminal one.
Powell and others call themselves "dreamers" after legislation in Congress known as the DREAM Act, which would give a pathway to legal status to young, educated illegal immigrants without criminal records.
Legislators who oppose the DREAM Act say creating a pathway to legal status is tantamount to amnesty and would encourage more illegal immigration. They say these immigrants must return to their country of origin and wait in line like anyone else who wants to enter the U.S. legally.
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2011/se ... r-1362924/

CHARLOTTE About 15 young people, including at least seven who are not authorized to be in the U.S.,

This is "liberal code" for illegal aliens. Deport them.