On Sunday night, I got an email about an action planned for Tuesday over Trump's DACA decision.
As a professor at City University, I see the benefits of DREAMERs every day. I see their hard work, their commitment, their engagement in the classroom. In a world of cynicism, seeing DREAMERS at the college who are glad to be here, ready to learn and grow - is profoundly moving. These are the folks that make this work worthwhile. They are also the people renewing this democracy every day.
They are the people who bring the dynamism and energy into our public sphere, making this experiment in democracy work. Without them, the smart people will go elsewhere. We are a country of immigrants. With the exception of the Native Americans, most everyone in this country are immigrants or children of immigrants. Its what what this country is all about. It renews us. And today with cities flooded and more labor needed than ever, we are turning our back on that process of renewal.
The announcement for the action declared:
"If Trump strikes DACA, DACA strikes back!
There is an imminent announcement on the decision for DACA on September 5th, but we won't wait for Trump to decide our fates. DACAmented immigrants and allies are going to take direct action and put themselves at risk to fight for permanent protection, dignity, and respect.
PLEDGE HERE: dacarepeal.com/action.
There is an imminent announcement on the decision for DACA on September 5th, but we won't wait for Trump to decide our fates. DACAmented immigrants and allies are going to take direct action and put themselves at risk to fight for permanent protection, dignity, and respect.
PLEDGE HERE: dacarepeal.com/action.
Please spread the word! We are going to shut down Trump tower with:
-Multiple Direct Actions
-School Walkouts
-Trump Tower Occupations
-Street Shutdowns
-Mass Rallies"
Arriving at the action, I saw people clogging Fifth Avenue, across from 57th Street.
"No Papers, No Fear!" screamed a group of activists sitting disrupting traffic.
"Its not about TRUMP as much as its about us taking action!" declared a young woman.
"Its just so upsetting. Its beyond upsetting," bemoaned Caroline at the action.
When is the next civil disobedience asked my friend at the action.
The organizers noted:
"DACA has shaped the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and their families. We need thousands of bodies to take over Fifth Avenue. We are angry but we are strong.
This fight isn't just for us-- this is a fight to win permanent protection, dignity, and respect for all 11 million undocumented immigrants. It’s a fight to get recognition for the economic power that immigrants have and that this country depends on. Just like our parents, our biggest power comes from being workers. We are not just “DREAMers,” we are workers who contribute billions of dollars into the economy. We are part of a workforce that is 11 million strong, and without us, this country cannot function."
After the activists were arrested a few woman stood up to announce.
"DACA was fought for by undocumented youth. DACA being repealed does not just effect youth. It effects my family, my friends, and my community... But we have been here before. Its time to make a decision of whether or not we are going to fight. A lot of us left our home countries. This is another hard decision we have to make. We have no negotiating power in congress. Forget replacing it. We are using non-cooperation for one week. We are not going to work of school. And we'll hit the country where it hurts the most, its pockets. We have to force this country to recognize its dependence in migrant communities. I am here for my parents and myself and I need you."
"I am here today to say that I am outraged and unafraid. I refuse to go back into the shadows. Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions, you don't fucking scare me. There are eleven million undocumented people in this country. And only two of you. We are going to show the country what it is like to lose immigrant labor! We are about to see a crisis in this country. Over a million people will lose their jobs because of the DACA repeal."
"I am here because I am a dreamer. Everybody has dreams. We're here to do what we have to do. We're here to fight. We're not leaving. We're staying... Its gonna be a fight because people look at us as if we don't belong here. And we do."
She explained going to school was going to be hard. Working was going to be hard. But she was ready to fight for her dream.
After the action, Make the Road by Walking announced:
Donald
Trump
has
made
the
despicable
decision
to end
the
Deferred
Action
for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA) program
and
put
the
lives
of
800,000
immigrant
youth
and
their
families
at risk.
We
feared
this
day
would
come
but
are
also
ready
to
fight
back!
Today
we
will
announce
with
our
allies
new
legal
action
taken
in
response
to
President
Trump’s
rescission
of the
DACA
program.
You
can
take
action
now:
Call
House
Speaker
Paul
Ryan
and
demand
he
take
action TODAY!
Trump’s
latest
move,
which
emboldens
white
supremacy
across
the
country,
declares
war on
young
immigrants
and
their
families.
Our
members
traveled
to
D.C.
this
morning
to
make
their
voices
heard
at the
Nation's
capital.
We
will
continue
to
defend
our
communities,
and we
will
only
get
louder
and
bolder.
Immigrants
are
Here
To
Stay!
New
York
Dreamer
Challenges
Trump
Administration’s
Termination
of
DACA
|
|
NEW
YORK
(September
5th,
2017)
--
A
young
immigrant
New
Yorker
and
Make
the
Road
New
York
(MRNY)
went
to
federal
court
today
to
challenge
the
Trump
administration’s
termination
of the
Deferred
Action
for
Childhood
Arrivals
(DACA)
program.
In a
lawsuit
brought
in the
U.S.
District
Court
for
the
Eastern
District
of New
York,
Martín
Batalla
Vidal,
a DACA
recipient,
and
MRNY
are
asking
permission
to
amend
their
original
complaint
in
order
to
argue
that
President
Trump’s
actions
violate
federal
law
and
the
equal
protection
guarantee
of the
Constitution.
The
case,
Batalla
Vidal
v.
Baran,
et al,
was
originally
filed
on
behalf
of
Batalla
Vidal
and
MRNY
in
2016
challenging
the
court
decision
in
United
States
v.
Texas
that
blocked
Deferred
Action
for
Parents
of
Americans
and
Lawful
Permanent
Residents
(DAPA)
and
the
expansion
of
DACA
from
going
into
effect.
Batalla
Vidal
and
MRNY
are
represented
by
Make
the
Road
New
York,
the
National
Immigration
Law
Center,
and
the
Worker
and
Immigrant
Rights
Advocacy
Clinic
at
Yale
Law School.
Nearly
800,000
young
people
now
have
DACA.
They
have
provided
personal
and
confidential
information
to the
U.S.
government
and
gone
through
a
rigorous
application
process
and
background
check
which
has
allowed
them
to
receive
a
two-year
work
permit
and
relief
from deportation.
In
the
more
than
five
years
since
DACA
was
first
implemented,
the
program
has
been a
resounding
success.
According
to a
recent
survey,
91
percent
of
DACA
recipients
are
currently
employed,
and
their
average
earnings
have
increased
during
the
time
that
DACA
has
been
in
place.
The
benefits
of
DACA
extend
beyond
the
recipients
themselves.
Nearly
three
quarters
of all
DACA
recipients
have a
U.S.
citizen
spouse,
sibling,
or
child.
Terminating
the
program
would
create
emotional
and
economic
harm
for
these
family
members
as
well.
Batalla
Vidal’s
family
is no
different.
Batalla
Vidal
is 26
years
old
and
grew
up in
Brooklyn,
New
York.
He
came
to the
U.S.
from
Mexico
when
he was
seven
years
old.
He
works
in a
nursing
home
and
rehabilitation
center,
and
financially
supports
his
mother.
He is
a
member
of
Make
the
Road
New York.
Martin
Batalla
Vidal,
plaintiff
and
member
of
Make
the
Road
New York
,
said,
“DACA
has
changed
my
life.
It’s
allowed
me to
pursue
my
dream
of
continuing
my
education
and
supporting
my
family,
with
the
peace
of
mind
that I
won’t
be
separated
from
the
people
I love
the
most.
Losing
DACA
would
have a
dramatic
impact
on my
life.
It
would
prevent
me
from
being
able
to
take
on
major
professional
or
academic
goals,
make
me
unable
to
work
legally,
and
put me
at
risk
of
being
deported
and
separated
from
my
family.
This
decision
by
Donald
Trump
is a
direct
attack
on
immigrant
youth
like
me and
on our
families,
and
it’s
based
on one
thing:
the
racist
beliefs
of a
president
who
has
been
attacking
Latinos
and
Mexicans
since
the
first
day of
his campaign.”
Members
of
Make
the
Road
New
York,
including
staff
members,
as
well
as
nonmember
clients,
have
filed
DACA
applications
that
remain
outstanding.
As an
employer,
MRNY
will
lose
significant
staff
resources;
a
number
of
employees
rely
on
DACA
to be
able
to
work
at the organization.
Javier
H.
Valdes,
Co-Executive
Director
of
Make
the
Road
New York
,
said,
“DACA
recipients,
in
addition
to
being
core
members
of our
community
and
families,
have
been
absolutely
central
to our
organization
since
2012.
From
our
work
organizing
youth
and
adult
members
to our
legal
department
to our
English
classes,
DACA
recipients
have
been
at the
forefront
of
delivering
vital
services
to our
membership
and
clientele.
Donald
Trump
and
Jeff
Sessions’
decision
today
is not
only
racist
and
immoral
— it
also
will
do
serious
damage
to our organization."
“The
Trump
administration’s
zeal
for
anti-immigrant
and
racist
actions
continues
today,
and
with
more
devastating
consequences.
Terminating
DACA
betrays
the
nearly
800,000
young
people
who
have
put
their
faith
in the
government,
throwing
their
lives
into
terrifying
chaos.
Our
fight
continues
on
behalf
of
these
brave
young
people,
and
together
we
will
work
tirelessly
to
live
up to
this
country’s
ideals
of
justice
and
dignity
for
all,”
said
Mayra
Joachin,
staff
attorney
with
the
National
Immigration
Law Center
.
“The
bravery
of Mr.
Batalla
Vidal
and of
the
members
of
Make
the
Road
New
York
today
reveal
that
young
immigrants
will
not
recede
into
the
shadows
as the
Trump
Administration
would
like
them
to do.
They
are
here
to
stay
and
will
continue
fighting
today’s
callous
and
unlawful
decision
to
eliminate
DACA,”
said
David
Chen,
law
student
intern
in the
Worker
and
Immigrant
Rights
Advocacy
Clinic
at
Yale
Law School
.
|
###
 |
| Speaking out. |
No comments:
Post a Comment