Cohen: There is No Hope for Economic Justice or Democracy if We Are Divided

CWA President Larry Cohen was one of 200 people arrested for civil disobedience outside the White House as part of the National Day to Fight for Families to protest the deportations that are breaking families apart. You can watch a short video of the rally here.

CWAers joined the action in front of the White House, where some 2,000 activists turned out to call on President Obama to stop the deportations.

In Washington, D.C., CWAers joined more than 2,000 activists from unions, community groups, farm organizations, religious groups, immigrant advocates and others in calling on President Obama to take action now to cut the huge number of people being deported every day – more than 1,000 – and keep families intact.

In addition to this unprecedented level of deportations, "thousands of children fleeing violence in Central America have been deported as well. What happened to the inscription on our Statue of Liberty – "Give me your tired, your poor," Cohen asked.

"Is this what we have come to? Divided up, as working people, based on where we came from? Divided up, as in Ferguson, Missouri, based on race? We have no hope for economic justice or democracy if we are divided, regardless of why," he said.

The President must take action and send the message that regardless of race or national origin, this remains the nation of the American dream, he said.

Across the country, thousands more families, community leaders, people of faith and others, participated in vigils, town halls and other events to push for action on immigration reform now.

Last year, the Senate passed a comprehensive bill by a bi-partisan vote. The House has refused to act, instead calling for increased deportation and enforcement-only policies that are devastating families.

From left: CWA's own President Larry Cohen, T&T Vice President Bill Bates and Chief of Staff Ron Collins are arrested in front of the White House, part of a nationwide Day to Fight for Families and against deportations.