Protesters block entrance to deportation center, refuse to move



Protesters stood outside a detention center Monday in an attempt to block deportations. From notonemoredeportation.com

TACOMA — A group of a dozen protesters blocked access to the the Northwest Detention Center Monday morning in an effort to protest further deportations of illegal immigrants.

Immigrants and allies of immigrant issues participated in the protest, called the first of its kind in Washington state. They hope to stop deportations and the “separation of families” in Washington, an email sent out by the unnamed group Monday morning said, and are willing to risk arrest with their action.

The group is demanding President Obama put an immediate end to all deportations, and provided deferred action for all illegal immigrants arrested and held in United States detention.

“The separation of immigrant families is at an all-time high and it must end,” Jolinda Stephens said in an email to Q13 FOX News.

Specifically, the group is protesting the Secure Communities deportation program of Washington, which is a state program that has led to the deportation of more than “2,600 Washington state residents,” the group said.
These individuals were in the United States illegally, however.

The protests are part of the national “Not 1 More” national campaign that aims to stop deportations across the country. According to the website Notonemoredeportation.com, many legal Washington residents planned to participate in the event.

“We live in a society that is profiting from detention and deportation of people, breaking apart families,” Muphy Stacks, a Washington resident, said.

“That is just not right. We can create a just society if we are willing to fight for it.”

http://q13fox.com/2014/02/24/protest...#ixzz2uG6UQhY1