Thursday, June 13, 2013

Immigration Reform Reax: DREAM Act Kids Freak Out Congressman Steve King

Posted By on Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 3:00 PM


Congressman Steve King, the immigration firebrand from Iowa, got an unexpected visit from DREAM Act kids today. Talking Points Memo reports:

The thirty DREAMers who stormed Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) D.C. office Thursday didn’t get any face time with the conservative immigration hawk, but they stood in his office for about 40 minutes before they were escorted out by Capitol Hill police, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and telling their stories as two female staffers demanded they leave.

“We wanted to show him that we wanted to be American citizens,” Julieta Garibay, legislative affairs associate for United We Dream, the group that organized the event, told TPM in a phone interview. “We wanted to make sure he knew we were watching him and that we were angry about his actions.”

Hundreds of DREAMers, people who were brought into the U.S. as children, are gathering on Capitol Hill over the next few weeks to confront politicians and make sure the proposed immigration reform bill does not get watered down—specifically a provision that would allow families separated by deportation to be reunited.

King was one of their big targets. He proposed an amendment that passed the House last week aiming to reverse President Barack Obama’s order allowing Homeland Security officials to delay deportations of young undocumented immigrants.

Although the protesters say King was not present at the time, he immediately tweeted that “20 brazen self professed illegal aliens have just invaded my DC office. Obama’s lawless order gives them de facto immunity from U.S. law.”

Southern Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva replies:


Poor Steve King. When Dreamers come to his office to address his attacks on them, he calls them invaders and hides under his desk.

Don’t be afraid, Steve. They’re just like you. They love this country. They want the American promise to be available to everyone.

Talk to them, Steve. You’ll learn something about the United States.

TW's look at the immigration bill here.