Reposted message from DREAM activists in Bloomington:
We send this email to you in deep sorrow due to the arrests of FIVE courageous Indiana DREAMers (youth who are undocumented) who protested SB 590 & HB 1402 (no in-state tuition for undocumented youth) in Indianapolis at the statehouse just a couple of hours ago in order to demand that their future not be torn by these bills. Both are on Governor Mitch Daniels’ desk waiting to be signed, ignored, or vetoed. His spokeswoman said he will sign them into law in a few days. You can find the stories and news clip on the events below.
This simple last measure could mean taking away the right to education for a large number of Indiana students. We want to emphasize the injustice of these bills for Hoosiers who have worked hard in school since a very young age and have overcome so many obstacles just to make it to college. They work hard to pay for their studies, but many don’t have a pathway to legal residency! We ask you, what will they do if the price is raised so much higher? Do we want a more uneducated populous? Do we want their talent to go to waste just because their families, not them individually, had to come here to find more opportunities for a better future for these DREAMers? This is their home and Indiana is mostly all that they know. Will you speak up for them? Our legislators did not understand DREAMers’ situations or immigration as well as they should have before passing such bills. We ask you to please support and spread this message to your friends, family, professors, and to as many people as possible. These Hoosiers need the Indiana community’s help! Check out the links below to see how you can help.
Story about event: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/may/09/six-protesters-arrested-outside-gov-mitch-daniels/?partner=RSS
(with video) http://www.theindychannel.com/news/27831083/detail.html
(IndyStar) http://www.indystar.com/article/20110509/LOCAL18/105090351/Undocumented-youth-speak-out-immigration-bills?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Communities|s
Picture of arrest that someone posted online: http://twitpic.com/4vn52k
Video of Sayra – Indiana Dreamer ARRESTED http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9mLaoc0e1Q&feature=youtu.be
Video of Lupe – Indiana Dreamer ARRESTED http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwSSXZbomQ4&feature=youtu.be
YOU CAN HELP: Fund to help dreamers: https://action.dreamactivist.org:443/bail/
UPDATE:
[Two days ago] at 5 a.m., as our five undocumented brothers and sisters risk being detained by ICE, they declared a hunger strike calling for the veto of SB590 and HB1402! Their request has an added sense of urgency: HB1402 becomes law today unless vetoed by Gov. Daniels.
Love and solidarity to these five courageous fighters.