9:30 a.m. Friday outside ICE building in Bakersfield
Activists support President Obama’s executive action protecting some immigrants from deportation, back continuing push for implementation
Bakersfield, Calif.—Immigrant rights activists from across the state and nation will mark Friday, November 20—the one year anniversary of President Obama’s executive actions that could shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation—by lauding administration efforts to implement the reforms and condemning anti-immigrant politics and judges who are blocking them. Members of the UFW Foundation, United Farm Workers and the Kern Coalition for Citizenship commemorate the anniversary at 9:30 a.m. on Friday outside the Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) building in Bakersfield.
The duel programs created by executive orders—expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA+) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA)—have not been implemented due to an injunction as part of a lawsuit led by Republican attorneys general in Texas and 25 other states.
Friday’s event in Bakersfield will focus on the impact DACA+/DAPA could have on farm workers and applaud the Obama administration for continuing to push for their implementation. It will also highlight continuing immigration work underway to implement these programs in Kern County and surrounding farm working communities.
Although the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans voted against the President’s 2014 immigration executive actions in a 2-1 ruling last week, the Department of Justice has announce it will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court so the case can be taken up during its current term.
Despite Republican delaying tactics, activists believe the future of DACA+/DAPA, and ultimately immigration reform itself, will be impacted by the immigrant community, whether it is in the courts or at the ballot box. They vow to continue making the moral, economic and political case in Kern County for a fair and just immigration policy, and to continue pushing hard alongside their allies in the national immigrant rights movement.
Who: Members of UFW Foundation, UFW, Kern Coalition for Citizenship, including families, students and community members joining a National Day of Action to implement President Obama’s executive orders on immigration.
What: Gathering outside the ICE building to mark one year since President Obama’s actions protecting up to 5 million immigrants from deportation.
Where: ICE Building, 800 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield 93301.
When: 9:30 a.m., Friday, Nov. 20, 2015.
For more information or to participate contact: Marichel Mejia at mmejia@ufwfoundation.org or (763) 443-2336.
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