See the update at the end of this post on protesters arriving to Rep. Ed Royce's empty office, the sign that was left on the door for them and the messages they left for the congressman.
ORIGINAL POST, AUG. 28, 6:05 A.M.: If you thought the arrest of seven people in June outside the Brea district office of Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) would prevent protesters demanding immigration reform from returning this morning to show solidarity with a larger demonstration in Washington, D.C., think again.
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7 Arrested at Immigration-Reform Rally Outside Rep. Ed Royce's Office
Activists from the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) Action Fund and supporting groups want a vote in Congress on immigration reform and a public demonstration of support for President Barack Obama's proposed “bold relief for immigrant families.” They even cite a Fox News poll that says an overwhelming majority of Americans want Congress to do “something–anything!” on immigration reform.
The activists say they specifically want to know why Royce is not supporting a vote in the House and “to ask the congressman why he is attacking the immigrant youth and destroying the American values of family unity and prosperity.”
Today's 11 a.m. rally is being held “in solidarity with the community leaders and supporters joining the D.C. rally and civil disobedience outside of the White House,” also happening today, explain local organizers. Besides NAKASEC, participants will come from SEIU USWW and the Orange County Labor Federation. Royce's Brea office is at 210 W Birch St., Brea.
Social media sites where you can follow along:
* National Korean American Service and Education Consortium on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nakasec) and Twitter (@nakasec)
* Fair Immigration Reform Movement on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/fair.immigration.reform.movement) and Twitter (@re4mimmigration)
* Reform Immigration for America on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/reformimmigrationforamerica) and Twitter (@RI4A)
Hashtag: #FightForFamilies
More on the fight: www.StopSeparatingFamilies.org/
UPDATE, AUG. 28, 1:03 P.M.: When those immigration reform activists arrived at Rep. Ed Royce's Brea district office this morning, they were met by closed doors, lights off and a sign that read, “All Staff Are in the Field,” according to National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) Action Fund members.
They add that when they subsequently called the veteran Republican legislator's Washington, D.C., office, they were told the man of the people was unavailable.
So, the protesters left signs of their own on the door with messages like, “You missed the chance to listen to your community!” “We want to know, why are you attacking immigrant families? Why are you destroying American values?” and “Education, not deportation!”
As rally participant Reina Peñalosa of SEIU-USWW put it, “We are here to tell Ed Royce again that we need to keep families together. How much longer will we have to wait? We can't wait forever.”
Members of NAKASEC and SEIU USWW were joined by an Orange County DREAMer demanding answers on why Royce voted to defund Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
“DACA granted me temporary relief from deportations, an opportunity to find a job, and allowed me to obtain a driver license,” says Simon Jun, a UC Irvine student, in a NAKASEC statement. “It gave me a chance to chase my dreams, and believe that I can have a future. Deferred Action needs to be expanded so that my parents can also dream.”
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