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 Tuesday 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 these actions affect their lives and called on Congress to act now.
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.”
Groups are coordinating efforts to protect and defend the programs and investigate ICE via a common document here. More than 20 organizations sent a similar letter earlier this month.
***
Follow Mijente on Twitter at @ConMijente.
