Charlotte, NC – Police officers arrested nearly a dozen illegal immigrant protesters outside the Democrat National Convention. The No Papers, No Fear website notes that the bus tour began in Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s domain in Arizona a month ago. The converted old Greyhound was filled with day-laborers, non-profit organization leaders and unemployed mothers who wanted to attract the attention of Democrats while pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.
The group of undocumented residents knew joining the No Papers, No Fear movement was risky, but thought the danger was worth it to further their cause, according to CNN . The illegal alien arrests came after members of the group blocked an intersection near the DNC.
ICE representative Ross Feinstein had this to say to CNN about the Ride for Justice arrests:
“ICE has taken no enforcement action against the Ride for Justice activists arrested Tuesday in Charlotte. ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the removal of criminal aliens, recent border crossers and egregious law violators, such as those who have been previously removed from the United States.”
Ride for Justice undocumented workers stopped several times along their journey to host news conferences, sit-ins and cultural performances. Protestors frequently chant and hold banners imprinted with the phrase, “Migration is a human right.”
Even though President Barack Obama signed an executive order to halt the deportations of some young illegal aliens, the No Papers, No Fear group members do not feel the policy went far enough to adjust to the needs of society. Concerns over the criminalization of their parents, the inability to return to Mexico to visit family, and fear that relatives crossing the border will not make it safely and be able to live outside of the shadows are among the complaints uttered after the DNC intersection blockage incarcerations.
