On Saturday, more than 80 protests were held across the United States during the Day of Action against Deportations, including one in southern Wake County.
The protests were organized to fight back against deportations for immigrants who have not committed crimes other than minor violations in the United States. In southern Wake County, 100 people gathered to protest under the umbrella project Not One More to show the Obama administration their opposition to unfair deportations and inequality while also condemning institutionalized racism against illegal immigrants.
President Barack Obama has been under scrutiny from immigration reform advocates since deportations have increased under his presidency whereas he claimed to be working to reduce the total number of deportations in the United States.
Records show that since President Obama took office, two-thirds of the almost two million deportation cases involve people who had committed minor infractions, including traffic violations, or had no criminal record at all, according to The New York Times.
On March 13, facing renewed pressure, Mr. Obama announced that he had ordered his new U.S. secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, to review deportation programs.
Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor said in an interview Sunday in College Station, Texas, that people who come to the United States illegally are often looking for opportunities to provide for their families that are not available in their home countries.
“Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony. It’s an act of love, it’s an act of commitment to your family,” Bush told Fox News host Shannon Bream at a town hall event at the George Bush Presidential Library Center.
Bush has not been the only politician speaking out for immigration reform.
“You know, 11 million people live in the shadows. I believe they’re already American citizens,” Vice President Joseph R. Biden said during an address on March 27 to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, as reported by The Huffington Post.
“These people are just waiting, waiting for a chance to contribute fully. And by that standard, 11 million undocumented aliens are already Americans, in my view,” Biden said.
Biden also signaled that he wasn’t going to give up on immigration reform, no matter how politically hot the matter became.
“If we want a game changer, the single most important thing we can do for our economy and for America’s future is pass immigration reform now,” he said.