Immigrant Rights Supporters Count Monday as a Win

WASHINGTON-Texas vs. the United States was heard on its first day in the US Supreme Court in the nations capital on Monday. Those coming out of the hearing’s conclusion for the day walked down the steps with raised hands clutched to each other and smiling as they descended the Supreme Court steps to approach the microphone and speak to the crowd.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in the case will determine whether President Obama’s prior executive actions, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), or expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), will see unabated implementation.

DAPA would keep families together, allowing long-term US residents to live with and support their US citizen children, and expanded DACA would give more people who arrived as children-or “Dreamers”-the security to continue living in the US without daily fear of detention.

Representative Luis Gutierrez of Illinois who attended the hearing remained positive especially with the support of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, “The women of the Supreme Court today stood up for immigrant families and especially the Latina Sonia Sotomayor.”

Carrie Gutierrez, born in Boulder, Colorado was a featured speaker at the rally and spoke to KGNU after her speech. She talked about fearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE and said that she wants the right to feel as safe as any other American, “I do hope DAPA passes here because it is important and you know, we want to feel safe. I want to feel safe knowing that my mom can go to work, can take my little sister to school without being afraid.”

Jeanette Vizguerra of Denver has been fighting her immigration case for seven years now with the support of a large part of the Denver metro community. She has joined the national fast for immigration reform. She appeared with her 9-year old son, Roberto, “The announcements today made us so emotional. We encountered feelings of happiness, sadness, emotion, because after so many years of fighting this struggle- in my own personal case of fighting deportation for 7 years-there isn’t a reason to celebrate. There is no celebration in fighting until we have comprehensive and just immigration reform.”