Thread: Outside Group Behind Phoenix Immigration Protest

Outside Group Behind Phoenix Immigration Protest

Updated: Thursday, 22 Mar 2012, 12:41 PM MST
Published : Thursday, 22 Mar 2012, 6:51 AM MST

PHOENIX (AP) - A group from outside Arizona is claiming responsibility for organizing this week's west Phoenix protest that led to the closure of an intersection and the arrest of six illegal immigrants.

The group called Dream Activist is an online organization based in several states. The group has organized acts of civil disobedience in more than six cities in recent years.

During Tuesday's protest, about 150 people, including many high-school students, sat in the street to protest the immigration policies of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Six people including two teenagers were arrested by Phoenix police on suspicion of disrupting a thoroughfare and disorderly conduct. Federal authorities determined the six are here illegally.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Wednesday that they determined the protesters did not fall under "ICE's enforcement priorities."

Sheriff Arpaio talked to FOX 10's John Hook about the issue:

"I think this is a staged event that when they had the demonstration actually making me the poster boy probably trying to influence the Department of Justice investigation against me. They knew when they went in there that they would be released," he said.

Arpaio is referring to the DoJ's investigation into claims that MCSO practices racial profiling.

He also says he'll keep an eye on any of the illegal aliens I.C.E. lets "go out the back door."

Outside Group Behind Phoenix Immigration Protest

Arpaio: DREAM Act protests 'all politics'

Posted: Mar 22, 2012 3:25 PM PDT Updated: Mar 22, 2012 4:19 PM PDT
Submitted by Breann Bierman
By Pat McReynolds

PHOENIX (CBS5) -

Four undocumented students arrested for protesting Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration policies are now out of jail.

Immigration officials said because the students have no violent crimes in their history per federal policy they will not be deported and that doesn't sit well with Sheriff Arpaio.

"What's sad about this whole situation is that it's all politics," Sheriff Arpaio told CBS 5 in an interview Thursday.

Arpaio doesn't buy that these students were rallying simply for the right to stay in this country. He said the whole protest was orchestrated at the highest levels, even from the White House.

"If you don't think the president is not involved in this, I remember seeing one of those people arrested shaking hands with the president," Arpaio claimed.

That may not be evidence of a conspiracy but Arpaio does believe the four young people released Wednesday night knew well beforehand that they would never be deported despite what they said upon walking out of jail.

"Everyone literally told us, you're getting deported, why are you messing up your life, why are you screwing up your whole life just for this cause, well we're like, this cause is bigger than ourselves," said one of the students released.

"There are rumors in this state that this is not high priority with the voting public, well maybe the voting public is going to get very angry at the games that were played at my expense, indirectly," said Arpaio.

Arpaio said the whole plan of the protesters was to goad his deputies into showing up and arresting them. But Arpaio said he fooled them and left the arresting up to Phoenix police.

He claims to have compassion for young people whose parents were the ones who made the decision to cross the border but said his compassion only goes so far.

"They violated the law and they should be deported and some action taken and that's the way it is, or change the law, Congress, change the law!" Arpaio said. "They've been talking about the DREAM Act for years. Now they have to show a message in a political year, using me as a focal point?"

As always, Arpaio told CBS-5 News that despite the federal government's policy of letting go non-violent undocumented immigrants, he will continue to enforce the laws on the books.

Arpaio: DREAM Act protests 'all politics' - CBS 5 - KPHO

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