Sit-in for Undocumented Students' Rights: Seven Undocumented Students Arrested, Face Deportation

Surrounded by hundreds of supporters, seven college students and one high school student occupied a street in the Georgia State University area today, demanding that Georgia universities refuse to comply with the state's ban on accepting undocumented students.  The college students were arrested and now face criminal charges as well as possible deportation. 

The demonstration was in response to a 2010 decision by the Board of Regents to prohibit undocumented students from five of Georgia's top universities.  The students say that education is a human right and should be available to all reguardless of immigration status. They are calling on universities to refuse to comply with the ban.

The students began with a rally in Hurt Park, speaking passionately about their refusal to let their undocumented status make them be intimidated or feel inferior.  They each told about how they had been brought to the US from Mexico or South America at young ages; one young man, David, came here at the age of one, and has been in the country for two decades.  Another came at 13 in 2003.  They related their stories about how they came to understand themselves as undocumented and what that meant growing up in the US and expressed their feelings about not having the access to education that their peers have.  Some said they were coming out as undocumented to encourage and embolden other undocumented students to stand up too; two young women said they were doing the action for their siblings, who have given up hope and live in fear as undocumented immigrants. 

Reverend McDonald, a veteran civil rights activist, and State Senator Vincent Fort also spoke in support of the students, expressing their solidarity as African American activists for civil rights with the immigrants' rights movement and the struggle for the rights of undocumented students.

After the rally in the park, students entered GSU and delivered a letter demanding that the school refuse to comply with the ban. Next students and supporters marched around the GSU campus, finally ending by occupying Courtlant St. at the bridge over Decatur St.

The students sat in the middle of the road around a banner and refused to move, while supporters stood in the street nearby or on the adjoining sidewalks.  A banner was hung off the side of the bridge overlooking the street below; it read "Undocumented & Unafraid! Refuse the Ban!"

As cars backed up along the street behind the sit-in, some angry motorists berated the crowd, while other drivers offered applause and support. 

The police took several minutes to arrive on the scene, after which they ordered the demonstrators to disperse.  One young woman who was sitting in the street was quickly taken into a police car, while the others remained sitting in the road for over a half hour more.  Supporters chanted from the sidewalks and the street as the students were led away in plastic handcuffs into a waiting paddywagon. 

Fulton, the county in which the students were arrested,  has a law called "Secure Communities", which causes the fingerprints of arrestees to be screened against a national database to check immigration statuses.  If an arrestee is found to be undocumented, the local officials contact the federal government to turn the person over for immigration proceedings.  The students may therefore face deportation, it is not yet known what will happen to them.  Supporters are raising money for the students' bail and raising support for the coming campaign to allow them to stay in the country. 

The students are being held in Atlanta City Jail.  There is a vigil outside the jail (Peachtree and Memorial Ave.) tonight, April 5, at 7:30 in support of the students.  

UPDATE: Bail was set very high for all seven students, but all were bailed out on the 5th.  The federal government says it is considering whether to initiate deportation proceedings.  The students are still in Atlanta as of April 6. 

Students are released on bail the same day

Further update: federal government not pursuing deportation: http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/illegal-immigrant-protesters-wont-907078.html?cxtype=rss_news_61499