August 25, 2014

UWD Confronts, Interrupts Sen. Marco Rubio in South Carolina, Calls Him Out for Recent Attacks on DACA

ANDERSON, S.C. – This evening, United We Dream leaders confronted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) during Rep. Jeff Duncan’s (R-S.C.) Fourth Annual Faith and Freedom Barbecue in South Carolina, calling out the Florida senator on his recent attacks on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The Republican Party has continually shown a lack of leadership on immigration, letting reform languish in the House for more than a year, and the undocumented community will not soon forget the GOP’s move towards an ideology of family separation.

Felipe Sousa-Rodriguez, Deputy Managing Director with United We Dream,

“We traveled from Florida to South Carolina to send Senator Rubio a clear message, keep your hands off our DACA. As a DACA-mented Dreamer from Florida, I’m insulted by Sen. Marco Rubio’s recent attacks on Deferred Action, a program that has protected me and more than half a million Dreamers from deportation.”

“In the past, Sen. Rubio has said that he stands with Dreamers, but now, he’s shamefully sided with anti-immigrant and right-wing Members of Congress like Rep. Steve King (R-IA) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who seek maximum deportations of Dreamers and our families.”

“The President is set to soon announce a set of executive actions that will liberate millions of people in our community, and we’re here to remind Republicans that they have stonewalled the immigrant community long enough, and that they don’t stand with us.”

“We remain committed to fighting for our right to keep DACA, and will continue fighting for deportation protection and a right to work for our parents as well.”

Maria Palacios, a leader from United We Dream-Tampa Bay, and a DACA-mented Dreamer who confronted Sen. Rubio said,

“If Sen. Rubio wants us deported, we’re here to ask him to tell us to our faces. We went to Sen. Rubio’s office in Florida, but his staff hid and closed the doors on us, so we’re here to let him know that Dreamers do not forget, and that we will fight to keep our DACA. The Florida immigrant community must see that Sen. Rubio does not stand for us.”

“As a DACA-mented Dreamer, I have experienced firsthand the positive impacts that the program has had in my life, as I’m now able to drive, work and be protected from deportation. Sen. Rubio will not take that away from me or thousands like me.”

“But I also fight for my mother, Maria, who’s sacrificed so much for our family and she also deserves to be protected from deportation, and we’ll confront any Member of Congress who stands in the way of our parents justice and freedom.”

In this screen grab from a UWD video, an attendee of the fundraiser stands in front of four protesters holding a banner reading "Rubio me quiere deportar."

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