Three undocumented DREAM activists who had been arrested Monday on second degree trespassing charges after staging a sit-in at U.S. Senator John McCain's Tucson office were released last night from ICE custody, according to ICE spokesman Vinne Picard.
Picard said the three activists were issued notices to appear in their immigration cases and released on their own recognizance. Their names are Lizbeth Mateo, Yahaira Carillo, and Mohammad Abdollahi.
One other activist had been arrested, Raul Alcaraz, but he was released earlier yesterday, as he was not undocumented. His fellow protesters were taken into custody by ICE shortly after their hearings before a local judge for the trespass charges Tuesday morning.
The activists were demonstrating against Arizona's new "papers please" law SB 1070, as well as urging passage of the DREAM Act, a proposal that would give children brought into the U.S. by their parents illegally and raised here a way to normalize their immigration status.
A press release issued today by thedreamiscoming.com, announced a 2 p.m. press conference, and stated the following,
"On May 18th, all four [activists] entered not-guilty to trespassing charges and were assigned a June 16th court date. Raul Alcaraz, a lawful permanent resident, was released on the condition that he would appear at the June 16th court date.
"The other three youth were expecting release but were instead detained and processed by ICE. That same night Mohammad, Yahaira, and Lizbeth were issued a field released supervision by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They are facing federal charges of trespassing, and will be fighting their deportation proceedings."
Alcaraz is from Arizona, according to the Web site. The others involved are from different states: Mateo, from Los Angeles; Abdollahi from Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Carrrillo from Kansas City, Kansas.
The release says the activists "will remain in Arizona supporting local and national organizing for passing the DREAM Act before the end of June."
You'd think the DREAM Act would be the one thing President Barack Obama would be pushing to pass immediately. But he and his administration continue their almost criminal negligence on this issue as they do on immigration reform -- all while a firestorm erupts here in Sand Land.
