Thread: O.C. CA. illegal immigrant arrested in D.C.

Published: July 20, 2010
Updated: 3:35 p.m.

O.C. illegal immigrant arrested in D.C.

By BRIAN ROSENTHAL and DENA BUNIS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

WASHINGTON – A UC Irvine graduate who is living in the United States illegally was arrested on Capitol Hill Tuesday with a group of young people protesting the lack of a bill that would grant them legal status.

Antonia, who would not give the Register her last name because of her undocumented status, was one of 12 people – six men and six women – who were arrested after they sat in a circle in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building. They were charged with disorderly conduct and were being processed by Capitol Police Tuesday afternoon.

Antonia is one of those people.

The 28-year-old graduated UC Irvine in 2006 with a degree in literary journalism. Since then she has been unable to work, she said, because she has no documents.

Moments before she was arrested Antonia said in an interview that she was confident that the DREAM Act would pass this year. She said if the bill passed it would mean her freedom so she wouldn't have to continue to live an underground life.

The 12 protesters were wearing graduation caps and gowns. Earlier in the day several hundred activists staged a mock graduation ceremony at a nearby church to demonstrate the fact that despite having finished college they could not work in their chosen fields of study.

On the floor in the middle of the circle in the Hart Building were banners that read "DREAM Act now" and "Undocumented and Unafraid."

"There is no demonstrating in a Capitol building,'' said Capitol Hill Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider. She said the charge is a misdemeanor and typically people are released the same day.

Witnesses said police approached the group, told them they had to disperse or they would be arrested. They continued to sit. A few minutes later police arrested them.

Schneider said she couldn't say whether Antonia and the other protesters – all of whom witnesses said were undocumented – would be turned over to federal immigration officials.

"Everyone will be run through the system,'' including federal data bases, Schneider said.

Before they went to the middle of the Hart building, the protesters made the rounds of Senate offices, visiting three Democratic senators all of whom support the DREAM Act. These included California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who chairs the immigration subcommittee, and Sen. Bob Menendez, the only Hispanic senator.

"They came and sat in the reception area and talked to a member of our staff about the DREAM Act,'' said Feinstein's communications director Gil Duran. "They were there for about 30 minutes and then they left.''

The DREAM Act activists have staged similar protesters at Feinstein's offices in the state despite her support for the Act. She has co-sponsored the bill ever since Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced it.

"They have the view that more should be done,'' Duran said. "It's unfortunate that they would resort to getting themselves arrested as political statement instead of working to build the bipartisan support the bill would need.''

Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or brosenthal@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/news/arrested ... dream.html

So how did they get into a federal bldg without proper ID ? How were they allowed to lobby our Congress Critters ?

Would'nt think of returning home and use that education to improve their country of origin ?

Related:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1092396.html#1092396

Originally Posted by USPatriot

So how did they get into a federal bldg without proper ID ? How were they allowed to lobby our Congress Critters ?

Yeah, I wonder about that too. Were they using fake/stolen ID? If so, will they be charged with ID theft and/or fraud also? Either way, process them and deport them!!!!!