Posted on 11/24/2010 2:53:27 PM PST by freespirited
University students across Texas this week joined San Antonio students in a hunger strike aimed at pressuring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to vote for the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for students and soldiers brought to the country illegally as children. Started two weeks ago by a dozen students at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the hunger strike spread this week to UT campuses in Austin, Dallas, Arlington, Brownsville and Edinburg, as well as the University of North Texas in Denton, according to members of DREAM Act NOW!, the UTSA student group that organized the strike.
The group is part of a national coalition called United We DREAM, which brings together activists in each state. Universities in Florida and Indiana have also begun striking in solidarity, members said.
“Now that they have seen we are still going and not planning to stop, some have joined us,” said Claudia Sanchez, one of the UTSA strikers. Sanchez, 29, is a U.S. citizen, but many of her fellow strikers are in the country illegally.
Hutchison met with a DREAM Act activist in Washington last week in hopes the meeting would end the hunger strike, according to a spokeswoman. Sanchez said San Antonio strikers want a face-to-face meeting with Hutchison when she comes home to Texas for the holidays.
“We want to start talking about the specifics of the DREAM Act so she can tell us exactly what she doesn't agree with,” Sanchez said. “We are giving her until Thanksgiving. If not, we are going to start stepping up our campaign. We will put more pressure on her.”
In a statement issued Tuesday, Hutchison said she would not support the current bill because it “goes far beyond the intended group of children who grew up in the U.S. and attended primary and secondary schools here.”
Hutchison is concerned for the safety and welfare of the students, but has already met with people from many parts of Texas on the issue and does not plan change her position, the statement said.
Sanchez said she hoped Congress would vote on the bill next week during the lame-duck session.
The act would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought to the country before the age of 16. To be eligible, the immigrants must have no criminal record and either attend college or serve in the military for two years. It would likely benefit about 825,000 immigrants, the vast majority under the age of 35, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
Critics have called it an unfair amnesty
Ha. Exactly!
May I propose a blockade? Set it up so that they can leave the protest any time they want to eat, but they can't come back afterwards. Additionally, block the passage of all food items into the protest area.
We'll see how big the hunger strike is after a day or two.
Remember that hunger strike Jesse Jackson put on once? It was for something like only 18 hours at a time. During the 6 hour breaks he ate stuff.
That's because it WAS amnesty. People staying here ILLEGALLY for 6 years should not get a pass.
If people want to live in the United States, then they should follow the proper naturalization procedures and become a citizen. Then, and only then should they be permitted to live in the US. Otherwise, they should be removed from the country.
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