Oregon Leaders Among 17 Arrested for Advocating for Immigration Reform in Washington D.C.

Today, Causa's Executive Director Andrea Miller and siblings Brian and Ashley Tapia from Bend, Oregon were among 17 people arrested for civil disobedience protest advocating for immigration reform. The following statement comes from the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), a national coalition fighting for immigrant rights at the local, state and federal level.  Causa Oregon is a member of FIRM and sits on their executive committee.

**BREAKING NEWS**

17 People, Including Four Minors, Arrested in Civil Disobedience Protest Advocating for Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON – Today, 17 people, including four minors, were arrested inside the U.S. Capitol complex. Some of the young people have gone through the pain and anguish of losing a parent to deportation. Others live in fear of losing a loved one.

Supporters, families and leaders, including UFW President Arturo Rodríguez and volunteers from Virginia Organizing, engaged in an enhanced act of protest against family separation, part of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement’s (FIRM) phase of escalation, STOP SEPARATING FAMILIES. The act of civil disobedience is an outcry against a broken immigration system that works every day to separate their families.

In light of the family separation crisis, FIRM has called for a National Day to Stop Separating Families on June 28, where groups across the movement will coalesce in action. June 28^th is the deadline our movement gave House Republicans for movement on immigration reform. Meantime, we demand that President Obama take immediate action against the needless deportation crisis that his administration has overseen.

“Ever since FIRM ramped up activity for relief last year, our young leaders have risen to the occasion and expressed desire to continue their advocacy in the form of civil disobedience. For our families, who live with the unbearable fear of losing loved ones every day, this is an empowering way to protest a broken system that works to break families apart. Our youth have become leaders in the movement because they want to stop the growing crisis in their communities that senseless and rampant deportations have caused,” said FIRM spokesperson Kica Matos.

“Our families will never stop fighting for immigration reform, and nothing has changed for us with House Majority Eric Cantor’s primary election loss last night,” Matos added.” For immigrant communities, there is still a moral crisis of family separation.”

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The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) is the nation’s largest immigrant-rights coalition, with grassroots organizations in 30 states fighting for immigrant rights at the local, state and federal level. For more information, go to www.fairimmigration.org.

Causa, Oregon's Statewide Immigrant Rights Organization is a member of the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and the largest Latina and Latino civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit www.causaoregon.org