UPDATED: 16 San Anto DREAMers Arrested
UPDATED: Sixteen DREAM Act protesters were arrested at Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s offices tonight after a six-hour sit-in. Apparently, the Washington, D.C. offices of Sen. Hutchison did not want the DREAMers arrested to avoid media attention, but the owner of the San Antonio, Texas building called the police, according to an attorney for several of those arrested, Ricardo Briones.
Several of the students arrested are currently on a hunger strike to push for passage of the DREAM Act in the lame duck session of Congress, as we previously reported. Among those reported are some prominent San Antonians, including former city councilwoman and mayoral candidate Dr. María Antonieta Berriozabal and Rev. Andrade Smith. Among the hunger strikers from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are:
- Julio Lopez, 26
- Felipe Vargas, 31
- Jahne Campbell, 26
- Maribel Hermosillo, 20
- My Le, 18
Some of these students are hunger striking instead of studying for finals because, without the DREAM Act, their degrees won’t allow them to seek employment in this country. The others arrested were people who formed a human chain outside the building once police arrived, including students, community members and professors from UTSA.
Briones said the students arrived at about noon wanting to dialogue with Sen. Hutchison, when it didn’t happen, they didn’t leave, until the building owners called the police. More details to come…
UPDATED:
In a statement, Sen. Hutchison said, “appreciates these students’ passion for their cause but hopes they can find safer and more peaceful ways to voice their opinions.” For information on which of your representatives to call to ask to support the DREAM Act, call here.
“appreciates these students’ passion for their cause but hopes they can find safer and more peaceful ways to voice their opinions.”
[Photo Courtesy Ricardo Briones]
