Immigration-reform protesters arrested for blocking intersection outside Democratic
Immigration-reform protesters arrested for blocking intersection outside Democratic convention
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, September 4, 6:55 PMAP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ten people who identified themselves as illegal immigrants are under arrest for blocking an uptown intersection in Charlotte, N.C., near the site of the Democratic National Convention.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police arrested the protesters late Tuesday afternoon during what officials described as a nonviolent act of civil disobedience. The five women and five men who staged the sit-in are members of a group calling for comprehensive immigration reform.
Police did not confirm the protesters’ immigration status or say whether they would report them to federal authorities. It is the policy of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office to report all detained illegal immigrants.
The group identified one of the protesters as an illegal immigrant from Chicago named Rosi Carrasco, who said she wanted to set an example for her two daughters by protesting mass deportations.
Immigration-reform protesters arrested for blocking intersection outside Democratic convention - The Washington Post
No deportation for illegal immigrants arrested at DNC
No deportation for illegal immigrants arrested at DNC
By Alan Gomez, USA TODAY
Sep 05, 2012
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CHARLOTTE -- The 10 illegal immigrants arrested while protesting the Democratic National Convention will not be placed in deportation proceedings.
"ICE has taken no enforcement action against the Ride for Justice activists arrested Tuesday in Charlotte," ICE spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement Wednesday morning. "ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens, recent border crossers and egregious immigration law violators, such as those who have been previously removed from the United States."
The ten arrested were part of a cross-country bus tour that originated in Phoenix and ended in Charlotte over the weekend. They were trying to draw attention to harsh immigration laws in states like Arizona, Alabama and Georgia.
On Tuesday, they were protesting the Obama administration's deportation record, which set new all-time highs each year for the number of people deported - nearly 400,000 in 2011. The group sat down in an intersection a couple blocks from the convention center where Democrats were hosting their convention, were arrested and charged with impeding traffic.
Tania Unzueta, one of the riders on the bus tour, said all 10 of those arrested were released from custody early Wednesday.
No deportation for illegal immigrants arrested at DNC
