Immigrant student takes protest to DC

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article mischaracterized Daniela Hernandez Blanco’s immigration status. Hernandez Blanco is in the United States with legal documentation. The Daily Tar Heel apologizes for the error.

In an act of nonviolent civil disobedience, about 200 immigrant rights activists were arrested Tuesday in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill — including eight Democratic U.S. House representatives and UNC sophomore Daniela Hernandez Blanco.

More than 10,000 people gathered for the rally, which demanded immigration reform that would allow immigrants an easier path to U.S. citizenship. The White House released a statement after the event in support of the demonstrators.

Hernandez Blanco moved with her family from Costa Rica to North Carolina in 2006. She said she has taken part in acts of civil disobedience before but has never risked arrest.

But this time was different — she said it was necessary to be a part of the strong message that the protest sent to the House Republican leadership.

“I prioritized the well-being of my community over my life, choosing to risk arrest because the struggles I have faced (that) we still endure need to end, and I’ll do what it takes,” she said.

The event included a speech by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

The arrests were the culmination of a nationwide series of immigrant rights protests, which took place in more than 160 cities during the past week.

A push to provide a path to citizenship for more than 11 million immigrants in the country without documentation has not made progress in Congress recently — but the Center for Community Change, a group that helped organize the rally, said in a statement members hope Congress will pass immigration reform by the end of the year.

Immigrants have been afraid to stand up for their rights in the past, especially if they lacked documentation, said Maria Pia Rodriguez, co-chairwoman of Students United for Immigrant Equality, an immigrant advocacy group at UNC. But Rodriguez said there is growing support on campus for these students.

Immigrant students without legal documentation have to pay out-of-state tuition at UNC-system schools, even if they graduated from public N.C. high schools. Students United’s new campaign, called One State, One Rate, aims to bring about legislation that offers in-state tuition for these students.

Hernandez Blanco said immigrant advocacy efforts will continue to grow.

“(We wanted) to show Congress that even if they shut down, we won’t, even if they stop fighting, we won’t, and we were there to show that we’re willing to put our bodies on the line.”

state@dailytarheel.com