Immigrants and their supporters from across New England blocked the entrance to a jail used to detain immigrants in Boston Thursday to protest the Obama administration’s record deportations, which have reached an estimated two million. Nineteen people were arrested while more than 150 others rallied to support them. The protesters want Massachusetts lawmakers to approve a bill limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities under the Secure Communities program. But speakers like Andrés del Castillo targeted President Obama. You are tearing us apart! You are allowing us, like in my family, not to testify to the fact that we suffer domestic violence, not to testify to the fact that we suffer so many different abuses! Why? Because we’re afraid to call police! Why? Because the police will send us to these people! Because the police will send our moms and our dads to jail! ... I also want to say, I direct that message directly to the president of the United States of America, Barack Obama! That is to you, as a son of an immigrant! As a son of someone else that comes from a different land, you should know better than any that we deserve rights, that we deserve dignity, and you should be recognizing our families! Family members of immigrants in detention or facing deportation have launched a hunger strike outside the White House as part of the #Not1More [deportation] campaign.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 23:46:26 +0000