Approximately 15 people picketed outside the Park Street T station Friday evening in support of the addition of the Clean Dream Act to the spending bill in order to prevent government shutdown. The shutdown went into effect Saturday morning at 12:00 a.m.
Protesters demanded an act that grants permanent residence for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, also known as “Dreamers,” without the concessions of the Republican Party.
These concessions included money for a wall, increasing law enforcement at the border and within the country that targets non-Dreamer immigrants, and ending “chain migration,” which allows immigrants to join their permanent family members in the United States, said Boston May Day Coalition organizer Matthew Andrews.
“Those kinds of demands from the Republicans really expose the fact that this isn’t just about the legality of how immigrants came here,” Andrews said before the picket. “No. They’re going after the legal way that people come here too. It really exposes the overall motivation of just trying to keep immigrants out, legal or not.”
The BMDC hosted the rally in solidarity with the #NoDreamNoDeal movement, coined by the Dream Coalition, which is coordinating actions such as sit-ins at congressmen’s offices, across the country, Andrews said.
Although DACA does not officially expire until March 5, activists decided the fight over the continuing resolution in Congress was their best chance to put demands forward on immigration reform, Andrews said.
Andrews said Boston has a particularly massive immigrant population that benefits the community and the economy.
“There’s this kind of mythology that there’s only this set number of jobs in the whole country for people to have and we’re all competing for,” Andrews said. “But, in reality, the people who live here don’t just work, but they create jobs. They create a functioning community. And if you rip people out of that community, then you’re ripping people out of jobs, homes, families.”
The picket line slowly grew throughout the evening as BMDC invited passersby to pick up a pamphlet and a homemade sign with sayings like “resist deportation” and “stop separating families.” Some supporters were moved to speak, including Rachel Wyon, 66, of Cambridge.
“Everybody who has TPS and DACA should be on the path towards residence and citizenship if they so choose,” Wyon said during the rally. “This is not a time for anyone to be put in detention centers or deported.”
Wyon told the The Daily Free Press that she is a retired ESL teacher and an immigrant herself. Her elderly friend from Venezuela was recently detained and sent back to his home country after living in the United States for decades.
“No human being is illegal,” Wyon said. “Everybody who’s here should be given the opportunity to prove — as they have for years — that they are working, they are contributing, they’re getting educated, they’re giving back to their communities, they’re paying taxes. Why should they have to leave?”
Tilly Teixeira, 86, of South End, who has known Wyon since she was 12 years old, joined her at the rally because she is the granddaughter of immigrants. Teixeira said she has been involved in civil rights since she was in college, and credits religion as her driving force for promoting equality.
“I had to go to Friday night service for a year every week,” Teixeira said. “It was ingrained in us that ‘What is required of me but to do justice and love mercy?’ All that’s required is you’ve got to do that.”
The rally also attracted people who were moved by the message to stop, listen and even pick up a sign, including Yale University junior Daniel Vernick, 20, of Belmont, Mass.
“It’s so important to fight back against the racist and discriminatory policies of the Trump administration that are targeting people whose home is America, who’ve lived here for decades,” Vernick said. “It’s targeting underrepresented minorities, and it’s important for people of all backgrounds to fight against that with ICE now targeting DACA recipients who do speak out.”
Opponents to the protest made their position known by yelling “build the wall first” and changing the words of the ralliers’ chant, “immigrants are welcome here,” to “judicial correction is not welcome here.” When asked to explain their comments, the counter-protesters declined.
“You’re always going to have the Trump supporters who support racist policies and want to bring America back into the ‘60s and into the past,” Vernick said. “But the reality is they’re in the minority in that Americans overwhelmingly support DACA, overwhelmingly support TPS.”
Another passerby who joined the picket line was Ryan Scribner, 23, of Cambridge. Scribner, who is originally from New Mexico, said he was heavily involved with immigrant-related political actions since it was such a critical issue there. Many of his friends are Dreamers.
“It’s important to build power and tell oppressors in power that their days are numbered in office,” Scribner said. “We’re not going to stand for them frightening people and deporting people who are living their lives peacefully in this country.”
