A number of undocumented immigrant mothers, who staged a sit-in outside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee to protest about the failure of President Obama and the Democrats to fulfill their promise to immigrant groups, were arrested by police yesterday.
Police officers handcuffed and hauled away four demonstrators when the protests resulted in both sides of the street outside the DNC in Washington being blocked. Among those arrested were 70-year-old grandmother Teresa Galindo, who has been living in the United States for 26 years; 50-year-old undocumented immigrant Maria Elena; 29-year-old legal permanent resident Mayra Canales from Arizona; and 28-year-old US citizen Andrea Adum. Activist Cesar Vargas, Galindo’s son, says that all the women were ready to be arrested.
“I’m definitely concerned, but she knows what she was getting herself into,” Vargas insists. “For me, it’s an inspiration. She is fighting for her freedom, to remind all political parties that she’s fighting for her family.” Dreamer advocacy groups organized the immigrant mothers, who had previously gathered together chanting “no more delays” around signs that read ‘Deportation Party, Breaking Promises and Families’.
Advocates have been outraged by the decision by President Obama earlier this month to delay taking executive action on immigration reform to protect Democrats from a backlash at the November midterm elections. Although the White House insists that Obama will take action before the end of the year, up to 70,000 undocumented immigrants could be deported in the meantime, according to advocacy groups.