DREAMERS STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH COMMUNITY IN FERGUSON

New York, NY - As an organization who fights for immigrant and human rights, we stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, and those who have stood with them.

We have all heard the news of yet another African American youth being shot by a police officer under circumstances that do not seem to have merited near the response that they did: it’s a tragic story that happens over and over again in this country. While there are honorable officers and police departments who truly commit to community safety, such tragedy, as well as the St. Louis Police’s misguided response, underscores the increasing march toward the militarization of law enforcement in our country. It is an issue which has manifested itself differently, but been a reality, in life across communities.

In our experience as undocumented immigrants, we have seen the same underlying factors of perception and militarization affect enforcement prevalent in our own community: while immigration from Asia actually outpaces that of Latino America today, Latinos are still 97% of deportees, the military spending on the border is out of control and the Border Patrol, armed with the knowledge that undocumented immigrants are typically too fearful to go to authorities to complain about mistreatment, has been brutal.

Take the case of Anastasio Rojas, who died from injuries he suffered while he was already handcuffed, on the ground, screaming for help as around a dozen officers surrounded, tazed and beat him while onlookers screamed for them to stop; hearing him scream “ayudar” felt similar to hearing Eric Garner wheeze “I can’t breath” as the police’s overreaction was killing him.

While we certainly face unique threats from Border Patrol, thanks to Secure Communities legislation, any interaction with any police for undocumented immigrants can lead to deportation, and thus escalate very quickly.

We have also seen the militarization of police strongly reflected in Black Hawk helicopters and Predator drones being worked into the “border surge” of the Gang of 8 bill.

We mourn the loss of a young man who died too soon, and stand behind the message of demilitarizing our police that we have heard coming from Ferguson, crossing the nation and beginning to echo in Washington. It would go a long way in healing deep wounds across communities, and our own community should be involved in helping to push this message.

Hands up. Don’t shoot.