Sept. 20 (UPI) — Three Democratic congressmen were arrested outside of Trump Tower in New York City Tuesday night while protesting for immigrants’ rights.
Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), were arrested on civil disobedience charges, reported CNN. Melissa Mark-Viverito, the speaker of the New York City Council, and six other protesters were also arrested.
“I stood in front of Trump Tower today with a whole lot of DREAMers, immigrants and Americans to say enough to Trump and his criminalization of our immigrant communities,” Grijalva wrote on his official Facebook page.
In a statement, Guttierez said protesters were urging Trump to reverse his decision to end the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program, which allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to stay in the country under certain circumstances.
“We’re taking the necessary steps to make it clear to President Trump, the Republicans and the Democrats that we will continue this peaceful fight for Dreamers and immigrants as long as it takes to enact legislation and put Dreamers in a safe place,” Gutierrez said.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would terminate the program if Congress doesn’t pass legislation to make DACA permanent as part of a larger immigration reform bill.
The program was enacted by former President Barack Obama by executive order in 2012.
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