The "Dream Nine" recently made the news when the collection of young immigration reform activists performed a protest that caught the world's attention. According to The Guardian, the Dream Nine entered the United States from Mexico and intentionally had themselves arrested and taken into custody. The four women and five men were residents of the United States, although illegal ones. They explained that they allowed the arrests in order to gain the public's awareness about the separation of families as a result of Obama's support for deportations.
Three of the protestors left their homes in the United States and crossed the border into Mexico, and then had themselves arrested for a lack of immigration papers when they tried to cross back into the United States. One protestor was from Chicago, another from New York City, and another from Los Angeles. Some of the protestors were arrested wearing university gowns and mortar boards. The group of young immigrants were recently released from federal custody. They emerged from the Elroy Detention Center in Arizona earlier this week after two weeks of incarceration.
The group achieved their goal- the protest made headlines and has been highly discussed. They hope that the action will put political pressure on Congress to effect immigration reform despite constant stalling on the project. At present, the immigration bill that has been highly discussed is on pause in the House of Representatives. Many undocumented citizens are calling for action, and using desperate ploys to get the government's attention. The protestors in the Dream Nine say that they are particularly focusing on how current immigration laws break up undocumented families.
At present, the Obama Administration has released a plan that will allow certain undocumented immigrants to receive a work permit if they are in a certain age category and meet a variety of other requirements. Still, the Dream Nine says that this is not enough, and advocates for a plan that will promote family unity. The nine are now on parole, and all have filed for asylum. They claim that if they cross the border back to Mexico, they all risk injury or death in the violent, drug-ridden country. The asylum claims could take years to organize. One of the nine activists, a 22-year-old woman, told the Associated Press that she is excited and hopes that she will see more immigrants welcomed into the United States because of her action.
A crowd of immigration reform supporters rallied around the Dream Nine when they were released from the detention center. The nine emerged from a bus when released carrying a sign that said "We're Home." According to data provided by immigration reform supporters, President Obama's administration has facilitated the deportation of over one million immigrants. Last year alone, statistics show that about 400,000 individuals were deported at twice the rate of 2005. This vigorous deportation program resulted in split families, leaving many devastated and unable to see their loved ones for years.
In recent years, many immigration reform advocates have allowed themselves to be arrested so that they could infiltrate detention centers and have contact with those awaiting potential deportation after trial. In July 2012, one group of immigrants infiltrated a center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and began interviewing detainees once inside. The advocates then weeded out all individuals who shouldn't have been arrested based on the Obama Administration's claims to only deport immigrations convicted of serious crimes.
The details of the cases where then passed outside so that it could help the public gain awareness of the issue. As more and more immigration advocates begin to take action, it could speed up the immigration reform process and assist undocumented individuals and families all throughout the United States. If you are currently dealing with a difficult situation in regards to immigration, you want to make sure you have a local immigration attorney on your side to help. Explore the attorneys available in your area using this directory today!