https://www.facebook.com/PoliticalRevolution/videos/1606033196115557/
WASHINGTON – Undocumented and immigrant leaders were joined by community organizations and labor unions on Monday to demand Members of Congress to defend DACA and TPS, to investigate ICE’s rogue actions and to hold the line on all hate legislation that further criminalize immigrants. At a press event in front of the capitol, Reyna Sorto (IUPAT worker leader), Brenda (Student at UDC, DACAmented Immigration and Education Organizer ) , Alejandra Pablos (Mijente local activist), Antonio Castañon Luna (DACAmented immigrant and labor rights activist) shared how this actions affect their lives and called on congress to act now.
Brenda Perez, Student at UDC, DACAmented Immigration and Education Organizer, said “We will continue to push policy makers to be inclusive of everyone. We must continue to tell them that DACA is very limiting. All young people should have access to DACA. Everyone should have options and be able to chose their path as adults … but at this moment DACA doesn’t allow that. It is very heartbreaking to be standing here and talk about saving DACA, at this point I thought that we would be celebrating about more progressive and permanent programs to help all undocumented folk. But somehow we are going backwards. Our people are being attack and we must fight back.”
Antonio Castañon Luna, DACAmented immigrant and labor rights activist said, “Now more than ever, we must stand together to demand that our elected officials join us in the fight to preserve the DACA and TPS programs, to investigate ICE – the rogue agency that continues to terrorize the immigrant community and separate families – and to hold the line against any legislation that further criminalizes and jeopardizes any marginalized community. Because ultimately, we are one community standing together against hate.”
Alejandra Pablos, Member, Mijente said, “I stand here today with my relatives across the country to denounce the inhumane actions of ICE, along with police, and all other law enforcement institutions that are aggressively targeting communities of color. We stand here to denounce all hate legislation that further criminalizes and tears communities apart and we will continue to fight to eradicate white supremacy that has bred this violence. We demand that all hate legislation be suppressed and blocked. There should be no more endorsements of legislation that violates human and civil rights, that encourage violence, and that allow impunity of those to blame. We demand for an end to all deportations immediately. We demand that hate legislation be eradicated. We demand that DACA & TPS be protected.”
Reyna Sorto, IUPAT Worker Leader, said, “Employers exploit immigrant workers because they think our fear will keep us silent from speaking out against abuses, even though TPS is not permanent, it does provide a level of protection that can give a worker strength to speak truth to power and denounce exploitative working conditions.”