Local Congresswoman Judy Chu and 181 Others Arrested Wednesday in Washington D.C.

Democratic Rep. Judy Chu. -Photo by Terry Miller

Chu was part of the demonstration was in support a DREAM Act vote

Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Capitol Police arrested 182 individuals outside of the U.S. Capitol, including Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27). The arrests came after a rally and march to the Capitol where thousands called for a vote on the DREAM Act. Rep. Chu, who was charged with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding”, was processed and released and has issued the following statement:

“’Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.’ Those are the words written by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during his own, far more dire, arrest in Birmingham. And while my brush with the law today was planned and civil, those words from his famous letter continue to inspire our civil disobedience. Then it was on behalf of black citizens treated as less than human. Today it is on behalf of immigrants who are facing threats of deportation and separation from family and the only home they have ever known. Dreamers have lived here their whole lives and are American in every way. They do not deserve this cruel uncertainty created by President Trump’s attack on DACA. Nor need they. There is a bipartisan bill ready to be voted on that I know could gain a majority vote if only Speaker Ryan would let us bring it to the floor. We have tried everything from large scale rallies to a small meeting with the Speaker to make our case. But each time, we have been ignored. Today, I know our words were heard, but will Republicans have the courage to act on them? Our ask is simple: let us vote on the DREAM Act so we can do the right thing for our families, our communities, and our economy.”

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