100 students and community members gather in front of Ohio Union to protest end of DACA

Zach Varda, Jasmine Huang
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 09:27:40 +0000
Campus, News, Politics, Web, DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, dreamers, featured, ohio state, ohio union, osu

Students and community members hold signs outside the Ohio Union in protest of President Trump's DACA decision. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Cars honked in approval of this protester's sign, "Protect Dreamers." Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

The Ohio State University Police Division congregated on the northern side of the Union, watching the protest from afar. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

"Hope." Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Protesters gathered outside the Ohio Union on Tuesday evening protesting the DACA decision by President Trump. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

A sign designed after the Ohio license plate. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Ohio State students filmed the protest and held signs reading "Dreamers not criminals." Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

People of all ages showed up to the protest to voice their dissent for President Trump's decision regarding DACA. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

A sign reads, "Immigrants are our: neighbors, classmates, coworkers, friends, family. Immigrants are us." Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Ohio State students and community members alike wrote letters to members of Congress explaining why they should support DACA. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor

Hours after the Trump administration announced its decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, about 100 students and members of the community gathered in front of the Ohio Union to protest.

The program prohibited the deportation of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.

The group of students wanted to speak out against the decision to end DACA. They held signs and voiced support for “Dreamers” — those who are enrolled in the DACA program — in a rapid response event organized by Indivisible Ohio, an organization dedicated to opposing the Trump administration’s policies.

“Knowing my own marginalized identity, I know how important it is to show up for other people who are also being oppressed in the society.” – Madison Taylor, second-year in geography.

The rally had many speakers, each with their own message, including Karl Stevens, an Episcopal preacher, who shared his story of a DACA student he taught while he was a professor at Kenyon College.

Stevens shared parts of a letter he wrote on behalf of the student, Marco Saavedra, for Saavedra’s immigration hearing. Saavedra, along with eight other dreamers, self-deported to Mexico in July. They hoped to record their story and release it publicly in hopes of publicizing the treatment of detainees at detention camps, a Kenyon College newsletter said. ?

The group was detained for several days before demanding readmittance to the U.S. They were then able to appear before a judge to seek asylum. ?

Stevens referred to his former student as “a man of great moral bravery.”

“I’ve benefited from people like Marco more than they will ever benefit from me,” Stevens said.

Many students in the crowd had emotional ties to DACA, whether they were personal connections or friends affected by the program.

Madison Taylor, a second-year in geography, who is African-American, said she came to the rally to show solidarity among minority students.

“Knowing my own marginalized identity, I know how important it is to show up for other people who are also being oppressed in the society,” Taylor said. “I think all our liberations are all interconnected.”

Michelle Nkumsah, an Ohio State graduate student in public administration and daughter of immigrants, said immigration has been a part of her life since she was young.

“I am disappointed,” Nkumsah said of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA. “I wish I could say I am surprised, but I’m not.”

Nicole Zaayer, a second-year student studying strategic communication, said she came to the rally to show support for her friends who would be impacted.

“Even though you don’t know anyone personally, they are still your classmates and they are still Buckeyes,” Zaayer said.