Nadeem SalaamThousands in NYC Rally and Sit In NYC In Response To DACA Repeal
The rally follows a civil disobedience action at Trump Tower on Tuesday in which 9 DACA recipients and 25 allies were arrested, as Sessions announced the Trump Administration’s repeal of DACA
Thousands of New Yorkers are gathering at Trump International Hotel near Columbus Circle in New York City in response to the repeal of DACA. They are demanding permanent protection, dignity, and respect for DACA recipients and the entire immigrant community. At 3:00 PM EST, the crowd of thousands began an 11-minute sit-in for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States.
“We are angry for all the young undocumented immigrants that haven’t turned 16 yet and are waiting to apply for DACA. We are angry, for all the DACA parents that could lose the job that supported their family. We are angry, for all the plans that DACA recipients had that now seem impossible. But we are also strong; and no politician- not Trump, not Paxton- can take that away from us. Our strength and resilience have never depended on a work permit,” said Thais Marques, a spokesperson for Movimiento Cosecha.
The repeal of DACA, together with the likely repeal of TPS, means that over a million immigrant workers stand to lose their jobs. It means massive layoffs across the country, at an unprecedented scale. Over the course of the next two years, an average of 1,400 DACA workers will lose their jobs every single day. DACA and TPS recipients with families that depend on them to get by will no longer be able to support their parents and children. “Today’s announcement means we must brace ourselves for what is soon to become an economic crisis in our community,” said Marques. Starting tomorrow, there will be many who will walk into work, knowing they may soon lose their jobs. In the coming weeks and months, we will need to be there for each other. We will need to help protect one another in the workplace. We will need to fight to stop DACAmented workers from getting fired, and raise money to support our families. We cannot be silent through this crisis, nor will any of us be able to get through it alone.
“Every single day, more DACA recipients will be losing their work permits and protection from deportation. We cannot wait for Congress to act. For the last 20 years, politicians in Washington DC have made promise after promise to pass legislation that would grant permanent protection to our community. For the last 20 years, we have watched with bated breath as negotiations fail and bills die. For the last 20 years, we have seen both Republicans and Democrats failing to make good on their promises to the immigrant community. The only way we will be able to win permanent protection is if we come out in mass numbers.” said Maria Fernanda Cabello, a DACA recipient who was arrested at today’s action. “We are doing this to tell DACA holders everyone that now is the time. There are so many of us. We need to come together, to be visible, to be heard. Our community is in crisis and we need you.”
Cosecha is a new national movement fighting for permanent protection, dignity, and respect for all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States through mass economic noncooperation.