Immigrants are increasingly putting their bodies on the line, hoping to move immigration reform.
On Oct. 8, a Chicago activist was one of roughly 200 protesters arrested outside the nation’s capital in a rally for immigration reform. Capitol police said that 5,000 more people rallied behind those arrested making the demonstation one of the largest in Washington, D.C. this year.
Juan F. Soto, the director of Gamaliel of Metro Chicago, (GMC), a grassroots network of non-partisan, faith-based organizations in 17 U.S. states, was arrested. A member of another Gamaliel affiliate, Michael Okinczyc of VOICE-Buffalo was also arrested, along with union officials, representatives of groups like CASA de Maryland, as well as eight members of Congress, including the vernable Rep. John Lewis of Georgia
Juan Soto, in blue, being handcuffed. Photo courtesy of Gamaliel.
“The current immigration environment divides families and keeps loved ones apart for years and even decades,” Soto said. “Real reform includes a path to citizenship. Liberty should be the norm for everyone. If getting arrested is what it takes to show the House we’re serious, then it’s worth it.”
But will this extreme tactic actually work?
It is being used increasingly by immigrant women in D.C. and around the country. For Rep. Keith Ellision of Minnesota, Oct 8 was his second arrest. For Congressman Gutierrez of Illinois, it was one of many times he has stood up for immigration reform, and it's a tactic he says intends to keep using.
Soto, who oversees Fiesta del Sol, the largest Latino festival in the Midwest drawing over 1.3 million people annually, explains his motivation:
“In February, we launched the campaign, “A Dream for All” a national immigration reform campaign, involving 15 states across the U.S. that included press actions, prayer vigils and meetings with Members of Congress in efforts to provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented people in the country,” Soto said. “Everyone should have the right to pursue their dreams. It’s time for Congress to act.”
About the Author
Tags
Comments
One thought on “Immigration Leaders Take a Stand…In Handcuffs”
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
My only question is do we want to give citizenship to people whose first act in this country was to break the law and to go to great lengths to do so? This shows a total lack of respect for this country and its legal citizens. Immigration reform must start with those that are here legally and closing the borders to those whose first act will be to willfully break our laws.