Thread: MD-Immigrant Groups Plan White House Protest, Arrests

Apr 29, 2010 11:21 pm US/Eastern
Immigrant Groups Plan White House Protest, Arrests

ANNAPOLIS, Md. Immigrant group leaders said Thursday they will risk arrest as part of a weekend protest at the White House in opposition to a new Arizona anti-illegal immigration law that many fear will lead to racial profiling.

Kai Jackson reports critics say Arizona's law is unenforceable and a violation of constitutional rights. Supporters say it is needed to strengthen America's borders and economy.

Protestors are outraged over Arizona's new immigration law. In a move that has stunned both states and federal officials, Arizona, led by Governor Jan Brewer, has made it a state crime to be in the United States illegally.

The new law allows police to ask anyone their legal status and demand to see a driver's license or state I.D.

Critics say the law is discriminatory and will encourage racial profiling singling out Latinos. It's leading to a weekend of protests in Washington.
Officials with immigrant advocacy group CASA de Maryland said that dozens of immigrant group leaders from all over the country and relatives of undocumented immigrants will engage in acts of civil disobedience as part of the Saturday demonstration.

CASA's Director of Political Action Kim Propeack says they will rally directly outside White House fences, where protesters are typically required to keep in motion, and ignore any police requests to move.

Ricardo Mejia, a 43-year-old organizer with CASA, says he will get arrested on behalf of his wife, who is not legally in the country.

Though he lives in Maryland, Mejia says his concerns that his wife will be deported increased after he learned of the new Arizona law that requires law enforcement officers in that state to question anyone they suspect is in the country illegally.

"I am afraid that one day when she leaves the house she won't come back and my daughter will be without the support of her mother," Mejia said. "I worry that if it's happening in Arizona, it could be extended elsewhere."

Propeack said thousands of members of a coalition of labor, social justice and immigrant advocacy groups will stand behind those risking arrest to show support and demand immigration reform.

Some of the coalition's anger is directed at President Barack Obama, who participants say has not lived up to his campaign promises on immigration.

Propeack criticized Obama for allowing a program to continue that allows local police departments to train their officers to operate federal immigration databases.

She added that Obama himself could blunt the effect of the new Arizona law by issuing an executive order prohibiting deportations of illegal immigrants until Congress has passed immigration reform.

Mejia said he, too, was disillusioned by Obama.

"This president promised us immigration reform but when is that going to happen?" Mejia said. "He hasn't completed anything."

Obama on Thursday praised an outline for an immigration bill offered by some senators who are calling for tighter border security before anyone in the country illegally can gain legal status.

Obama said the next step is to iron out a bill and said his administration will "play an active role" in trying to get bipartisan support.

U.S. Park Police spokesman Sgt. David Schlosser says officers are prepared to handle Saturday's protest.

"Nonviolent civil disobedience has historically been a method of redress for many, many years, and it's something we handle on an ongoing basis," Schlosser said. "If they're interested in it, we're prepared to handle this kind of thing."

According to Schlosser, people engaging in similar protests at the White House are typically charged with disobeying an official order of a police officer.

They are given multiple warnings over a short time period that if they don't comply with the officer's commands they will be arrested. Those who don't obey the officers are taken to a D.C. police processing facility.


http://wjz.com/local/immigrant.white.ho ... 65564.html

Funny they should mention the idea.

What's also funny is that they put themselves in this situation. They are the ones who have broken OUR laws. They are the ones who have to suffer the consequences.

It is absolutely absurd if you think about it on that level.

Criminals crying foul that they broke the law.

"This president promised us immigration reform but when is that going to happen?" Mejia said. "He hasn't completed anything."

Twenty four years ago we were promised no more amnesties and enforcement of the law, we're still waiting for the enforcement part. It's been long enough and Arizona has finally started the ball rolling. We want the AZ in every state.

To all the people who have said that the Arizona law will make the invaders even more scared now to come forward and report crime, you are full of it!!! They are WILLING to commit more crime or "civil disobedience" as they put it. They defiantly aren't in the shadows anymore, so round them up!!

Critics say the law is discriminatory and will encourage racial profiling

If it saves lots of lives and money I don't mind a little profiling or having to show ID. Plus if this works as intended in a year or two there won't be much need to question people since most illegals would be gone.