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200 Arrested in Historic Action Demanding Immigration Reform and a Halt to Deportations
JAISAL NOOR, TRNN PRODUCER: I'm here at the Capitol. Behind this wall of people, about 200 people are getting arrested right now in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience in the history of the nation's capital. Protesters are calling for an immediate end to deportation and for Congress to pass a just and humane immigration reform bill.
~~~
NOOR: Can you just tell me why you're here today, what your message is, and what you're calling for today?
JOHN LEWIS, ARRESTED PROTESTER, CONGRESSPERSON (D-GA): Well, it's important that I be here with other members of Congress to show our solidarity with this whole effort for comprehensive immigration reform. As I said in another time, in another period when people would tell us to wait and be patient, I've said today we cannot wait, we cannot be patient. We want comprehensive immigration reform now. It's long overdue. It is time for the Congress to act.
NOOR: Now, President Obama has deported almost 2 million people. The Republicans are forcing--especially the Tea Party is emphasizing a piecemeal approach that will not legalize many of the 12 million people here that are undocumented. What's your response to both of those?
LEWIS: My response is very simple. We do not need to deport any other individuals or any families. It's time for us to keep all of the people here and find a way to move very fast to make people legal and set people on a path to citizenship.
~~~
NOOR: Can you just tell me why you're here today, what your message is, and what you're calling for today?
JOHN LEWIS, ARRESTED PROTESTER, CONGRESSPERSON (D-GA): Well, it's important that I be here with other members of Congress to show our solidarity with this whole effort for comprehensive immigration reform. As I said in another time, in another period when people would tell us to wait and be patient, I've said today we cannot wait, we cannot be patient. We want comprehensive immigration reform now. It's long overdue. It is time for the Congress to act.
NOOR: Now, President Obama has deported almost 2 million people. The Republicans are forcing--especially the Tea Party is emphasizing a piecemeal approach that will not legalize many of the 12 million people here that are undocumented. What's your response to both of those?
LEWIS: My response is very simple. We do not need to deport any other individuals or any families. It's time for us to keep all of the people here and find a way to move very fast to make people legal and set people on a path to citizenship.
Clip here at The Real News Network