Capitol police escort a protester holding a "No More Deportations" banner out of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on immigration Wednesday. (Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images)
Feb 13, 2013
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was interrupted at today's Senate Immigration Hearing as she boasted that U.S. borders have "never been stronger." The protesters who interrupted the hearing on multiple occasions demanded that the administration cut deportations and focus on the human rights of undocumented immigrants.
The Obama administration deported a record 409,000 undocumented immigrants last year, according to Napolitano. The administration has deported roughly 1.6 million people in the past four years.
At the hearing GOP Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas) argued with Napolitano saying that while border security has improved in recent years, the Obama administration has not deported enough or kept enough immigrants out.
The hearing contained a wide variety of speakers, many of who called for immigration reform, but most fell short of criticizing the volume of deportations under Obama's past and future policies.
Protesters interrupted the hearing several times, chanting and waving banners against deportations. Interrupting Napolitano, one protester yelled, "you are destroying our communities" as others began to chant, "Stop the deportations."
At one point a group stood and silently turned their backs to the senators, with signs on their backs reading "human rights" and "immigrant rights."
Among other testimonies at the hearing, however, was Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist who acknowledged his undocumented status in a high-profile piece in The New York Times Magazine in June 2011. Vargas argued vehemently for stronger immigrant rights, asking the senators, "What do you want to do with me?" and "How do you define American?"
"Too often, we're treated as abstractions, faceless and nameless, mere subjects of debate rather than individuals with families, hopes, fears, and dreams," Vargas told committee members. "We dream of a path to citizenship so we can actively participate in our American democracy."
He added:
[Immigrants] dream of not being separated from our families and our loved ones, regardless of sexual orientation, no matter our skill set. [...]
This government has deported more than 1.6 million people, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters in the past four years. [...]
We talk about immigration and enforcement as if we're talking about alien people from Mars and not people whose lives and families are being torn apart everyday.
Protesters interrupt Senate hearing on immigration reform:
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was interrupted at today's Senate Immigration Hearing as she boasted that U.S. borders have "never been stronger." The protesters who interrupted the hearing on multiple occasions demanded that the administration cut deportations and focus on the human rights of undocumented immigrants.
The Obama administration deported a record 409,000 undocumented immigrants last year, according to Napolitano. The administration has deported roughly 1.6 million people in the past four years.
At the hearing GOP Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas) argued with Napolitano saying that while border security has improved in recent years, the Obama administration has not deported enough or kept enough immigrants out.
The hearing contained a wide variety of speakers, many of who called for immigration reform, but most fell short of criticizing the volume of deportations under Obama's past and future policies.
Protesters interrupted the hearing several times, chanting and waving banners against deportations. Interrupting Napolitano, one protester yelled, "you are destroying our communities" as others began to chant, "Stop the deportations."
At one point a group stood and silently turned their backs to the senators, with signs on their backs reading "human rights" and "immigrant rights."
Among other testimonies at the hearing, however, was Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist who acknowledged his undocumented status in a high-profile piece in The New York Times Magazine in June 2011. Vargas argued vehemently for stronger immigrant rights, asking the senators, "What do you want to do with me?" and "How do you define American?"
"Too often, we're treated as abstractions, faceless and nameless, mere subjects of debate rather than individuals with families, hopes, fears, and dreams," Vargas told committee members. "We dream of a path to citizenship so we can actively participate in our American democracy."
He added:
[Immigrants] dream of not being separated from our families and our loved ones, regardless of sexual orientation, no matter our skill set. [...]
This government has deported more than 1.6 million people, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters in the past four years. [...]
We talk about immigration and enforcement as if we're talking about alien people from Mars and not people whose lives and families are being torn apart everyday.
Protesters interrupt Senate hearing on immigration reform:
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was interrupted at today's Senate Immigration Hearing as she boasted that U.S. borders have "never been stronger." The protesters who interrupted the hearing on multiple occasions demanded that the administration cut deportations and focus on the human rights of undocumented immigrants.
The Obama administration deported a record 409,000 undocumented immigrants last year, according to Napolitano. The administration has deported roughly 1.6 million people in the past four years.
At the hearing GOP Sens. Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and John Cornyn (Texas) argued with Napolitano saying that while border security has improved in recent years, the Obama administration has not deported enough or kept enough immigrants out.
The hearing contained a wide variety of speakers, many of who called for immigration reform, but most fell short of criticizing the volume of deportations under Obama's past and future policies.
Protesters interrupted the hearing several times, chanting and waving banners against deportations. Interrupting Napolitano, one protester yelled, "you are destroying our communities" as others began to chant, "Stop the deportations."
At one point a group stood and silently turned their backs to the senators, with signs on their backs reading "human rights" and "immigrant rights."
Among other testimonies at the hearing, however, was Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist who acknowledged his undocumented status in a high-profile piece in The New York Times Magazine in June 2011. Vargas argued vehemently for stronger immigrant rights, asking the senators, "What do you want to do with me?" and "How do you define American?"
"Too often, we're treated as abstractions, faceless and nameless, mere subjects of debate rather than individuals with families, hopes, fears, and dreams," Vargas told committee members. "We dream of a path to citizenship so we can actively participate in our American democracy."
He added:
[Immigrants] dream of not being separated from our families and our loved ones, regardless of sexual orientation, no matter our skill set. [...]
This government has deported more than 1.6 million people, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters in the past four years. [...]
We talk about immigration and enforcement as if we're talking about alien people from Mars and not people whose lives and families are being torn apart everyday.
Protesters interrupt Senate hearing on immigration reform:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.