Young immigrants arrested during Charlotte protest

At least 10 young illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States almost all their lives could be deported after being arrested Tuesday during a boisterous sit-in rally during which about 300 people blocked a busy intersection near uptown Charlotte to protest immigration law.

Among those arrested was Hamptonville resident Martin Rodriguez, an honors high school graduate and member of an immigrant advocacy group based in Yadkinville known as El Cambio.

While sitting in an intersection near Central Piedmont Community College, Rodriguez had his arms pulled behind his back by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers. And as he was led to a police van, a crowd of supporters chanted, "Undocumented!"

Rodriguez yelled back at the top of his lungs, "Unafraid!"

Overall, about 15 people were arrested, a police spokesman said. Most were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and impeding traffic.

For the 10 illegal immigrants, including Rodriguez, deportation is also now a possibility because they were arrested in a county that is part of a federal program known as 287(g), which allows local enforcement agencies to check immigration status.

Standing a few feet away from the police officers, Moises Serrano, a Yadkinville resident who was brought to the U.S. when he was an infant, said that he was concerned he could be next.

"It's a risk we are all willing to take because we are so tired of living in limbo," Serrano said.

The rally highlighted one of the most complex issues within the immigration debate.

While there is wide agreement among Democrats and Republicans about tightening border security and deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records, there are differences of opinion about what to do with young immigrants such as Rodriguez and Serrano — those who have no criminal record, are educated and were brought to the U.S. by their parents at a young age.

Such immigrants call themselves "dreamers," after legislation in Congress known as the Dream Act, which would give a pathway to legal status to young, educated immigrants without criminal records. Being in the United States without authorization is a civil offense, not a criminal one. In North Carolina, there are about 51,000 such immigrants, according to the Migration Policy Institute, a nonprofit research group based in Washington.

Legislators who oppose the Dream Act say creating a pathway to legal status is tantamount to amnesty and would encourage more illegal immigration. They say that illegal immigrants, regardless of whether they were brought to the U.S. as children, should return to their native country and apply for entry to the U.S.

Rally organizer Domenic Powell, a founding member of the advocacy group N.C. Dream Team, disagrees with that point of view.

Such immigrants, he said, are not given a chance to go to college without paying out-of-state tuition. When they do pay the higher cost, they have to wait for everyone else to register before they can choose classes. And while some legislators suggest they should attempt to get into the U.S. by returning to their native country and applying for entry, that process can take years.

Powell also noted that he intentionally scheduled his rally to coincide with a separate rally about a mile away in downtown Charlotte. At Time Warner Cable Arena, 3,000 Democrats gathered for the kickoff to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

"This (rally) is what we have to do because these are young people whose lives are in limbo. If Democrats think we're going to go with them, they need to remember they're dealing with idealistic young people with nothing to lose," Powell said.

The immigration rally started on campus at about 1 p.m. Several young immigrants — from places such as Asheville, Carrboro, Sanford, Raleigh and Charlotte — announced that they undocumented and want to contribute to society.

At the time, Rodriguez told the crowd, "The emotional side of the cruel reality of our lives has not been a concern for congressmen and congresswomen. I choose not to present another emotional testimony. I do not ask for sympathy. We do not ask for superiority. We ask for justice. Mere justice."

After the speeches, the protesters marched a few blocks to the site near Central Piedmont Community College where East Fourth Street and South Kings Avenue meet. Without pause, they filled the crosswalks, completely blocking traffic.

Instantly, drivers started honking. Rows of cars sat parked for about 20 minutes before police arrived. Sitting in his car with his window rolled down, Frank Hamrick of Winston-Salem was visibly frustrated.

"They must want to get legalized bad if they're doing this, but this is crazy," Hamrick said. "They need to lock all of them up. If they want to do something like this, they need to do it at the government building."

Other drivers, meanwhile, took things in stride.

"I'm seeing a display of democracy by young kids," Roxana Bendezu said. "It's history in the making."

Seemingly unnerved by the car horns, the protesters used bullhorns to shout chants such as "Education, not deportation" and "The people united will never be divided."

As police officers moved in, seven protesters sat in the middle of the intersection. One by one, they were arrested, taken to a police van and eventually to the county jail, where their immigration status was likely checked.

Becky Moriello, a Raleigh immigration attorney, said that they could be in jail for about a week before bail is set. Helen Parsonage, a Winston-Salem immigration attorney, said as she witnessed the arrests that she will be handling some of the cases.

"I'm very impressed by how brave they are," Parsonage said. "I'm in awe of their courage."

Silvia Rodriguez, standing on a sidewalk as her brother, Martin, was arrested, said that he had prepared her for that moment.

"It's not just about him," said Rodriguez, who is a U.S. citizen. "He wants to send a message that you are not alone."