- Slug: BC-CNS-Deportation Demonstration,490
- Sidebar: List of cities with planned marches
- Photos available (thumbnails, captions below)
By WHITNEY OGDEN
Cronkite News Service
WASHINGTON – Immigration reform advocates rallied Thursday in front of the White House, where they called on President Barack Obama to “to stop the deportation machine” that is splitting up families like theirs.
The protesters, many of them from Arizona, said the president should use his executive authority to stop deportations of immigrants here illegally as long as immigration reform legislation is stalled in Congress.
“We have seen a lot of folks within both parties play with the lives of undocumented people … many times for political reasons,” said Erika Andiola, an Arizona resident at the Washington event. She said her mother and brother, who are in this country illegally, are currently being detained in Arizona.
The rally was organized by Not1More, the same group that plans a weekend of action across the country, with marches or vigils planned in scores of cities.
Advocates had been pushing for congressional action on an immigration overhaul that stalled in the House, but have since shifted tactics and are now trying to pressure the president to halt deportations until Congress acts.
They point to the level of deportations under the current administration, which they say are nearing the 2 million mark since the president took office.
About 20 protesters – who appeared to be outnumbered by reporters Thursday – gathered outside the White House for the hourlong rally, holding signs and giving speeches.
Arizona resident Naira Zapata told the rally that she was two months pregnant with her daughter, Nyla Rosales, when her husband was detained last year. She said he has yet to see his infant daughter, who was with Zapata at the White House rally.
“We need the president to change the system,” Zapata said through an interpreter. “We voted for the president and we want him to vote for us by changing the system so that he can let us live without fear.”
Andiola said it is difficult to be heard in Arizona, with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-described “toughest sheriff in the country,” and the “papers please” provisions of the state immigration get-tough law, SB 1070. She said family members are being detained in the state and nothing is being done about it at the national level.
Andiola said in Arizona she and other families were ignored at the local level, so she came to Washington to speak at the president?s doorstep.
“It has got to this point that we need to actually bring it here so that (Washington) can actually, like, listen to the people who are going through this … on the state level,” she said.
Not1More member Tania Unzueta said the group will stay outside the White House until the president takes action to end the deportations that are taking their family members away.
“We can’t wait anymore, our families can’t wait anymore,” Unzueta said. “We’ll be … here in front of the White House indefinitely until we know that he (the president) has heard us.”
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Web links:
_Not1more map of marches: http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/take-action/april-5th-day-of-action-against-deportations/
_ Senate immigration reform bill: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s744es/pdf/BILLS-113s744es.pdf
_SB 1070: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/2r/bills/sb1070p.pdf
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SIDEBAR:
Deportation demonstrations
The group Not1More claims it will have marches and rallies in more than 50 cities across the country this weekend, calling for an end to deportations of illegal immigrants.
– Alabama: Birmingham
– Arizona: Flagstaff, Phoenix, Safford
– California: Garden Grove, Los Angeles, Palmdale, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ana, Van Nuys,
– Colorado: Aurora, Denver, Durango, Frisco
– Connecticut: Various cities
– District of Columbia
– Florida: Homestead, Miami
– Georgia: Atlanta
– Illinois: Chicago
– Iowa: Des Moines
– Louisiana: New Orleans
– Massachusetts: Boston, Springfield, Worcester
– Minnesota: Minneapolis
– Missouri: Independence
– Ohio: Columbus
– North Carolina: Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Raleigh
– New Hampshire: Nashua
– New Jersey: Newark
– New Mexico: Albuquerque, Clovis, Las Cruces
– New York: New York City
– Oregon: Newport, Portland
– Pennsylvania: Norristown, Westchester
– Puerto Rico: San Juan
– Rhode Island: Providence
– Tennesse: Knoxville, Nashville
– Texas: Dallas, Houston
– Utah: West Salt Lake City
– Washington: Forks, Sumas, Tacoma, Yakima
– Wisconsin: Milwaukee
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Arizonans Erika Andiola and Jose Valdez said the president needs to stop waiting on Congress and use his executive power to stop deportations of immigrants here illegally. Andiola’s mother and brother are currently being detained, as are Valdez’s son and daughter (Cronkite News Service photo by Whitney Ogden)
Arizonan Naira Zapata’s husband has been detained on immigration charges for more than a year. Zapata, at the White House to protest deportations, said her husband has yet to see his baby daughter, Nyla Rosales. (Cronkite News Service photo by Whitney Ogden)
Dozens of immigration advocates, including several from Airzona, rallied outside the White House to repeat demands that President Barack Obama stop deportations of people here illegally until a reform bill can be passed. (Cronkite News Service photo by Whitney Ogden)
Advocates have shifted their focus from pushing for an immigration reform vote in Congress to pressuring the president to end deportations while action on reform is stalled. (Cronkite News Service photo by Whitney Ogden)