The DREAM Act is a bipartisan bill to protect undocumented young immigrants from deportation. Pelosi emphasized that the bill is about “making America more American.” She pointed out that 76% of Americans support citizenship or permanent status for Dreamers.
Protesters demanded a clean bill
In the middle of her speech, a group of undocumented Dreamers entered and took over the event. They chanted, “We are immigrant youth, undocumented and unafraid. We are the immigrant liberation movement. We demanded to be heard.”
The demonstrators also demanded a clean bill that protects them without hurting their families. They told Pelosi and her fellow lawmakers not to use them as bargaining chip for Trump’s xenophobic agenda.
Additionally, the protesters accused the Democrats of creating an “out of control deportation machine.” They went on to say, “Democrats are not the resistance to Trump.”
At one point, Pelosi tried to regain control of the event and address the concerns of the protesting youth. She said, “Thank you, thank you. You’ve asked questions, you have spoken.” The protesters ignored the Congresswoman and repeatedly chanted “shutdown ICE” for several minutes.
