By Julia Conley | Common Dreams
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Thousands of high school and college students staged walkouts Friday to declare that DACA recipients are “here to stay,” days before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear the first oral arguments regarding President Donald Trump's decision to rescind protections for undocumented young people.
The Supreme Court, the organizers and demonstrators said, must rule against Trump's 2017 decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which has since 2012 allowed young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children to live and work in the country.
“The students, made up of DACA recipients, undocumented students, and U.S. citizen allies, will highlight that their home is here and they are here to stay,” the immigrant rights group United We Dream said in a press advisory announcing the countrywide demonstrations.
United We Dream and other national and local groups helped organize school walkouts in Oklahoma, Washington, D.C, Florida, and a number of other states.
Widely-shared videos showed hundreds of students at U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City walking out of their classrooms. The students, who reportedly joined the entire Oklahoma City school district in the walkout, joined in a “unity clap” and chanted, “Here to Stay!” while gathered on campus.
https://twitter.com/orrchards/status/1192829821916721152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1192829821916721152&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2019%2F11%2F08%2Fheretostay-student-walkouts-across-us-demand-supreme-court-defend-daca
https://twitter.com/orrchards/status/1192821215527931904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1192821215527931904&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2019%2F11%2F08%2Fheretostay-student-walkouts-across-us-demand-supreme-court-defend-daca
https://twitter.com/orrchards/status/1192814540859355137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1192814540859355137&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2019%2F11%2F08%2Fheretostay-student-walkouts-across-us-demand-supreme-court-defend-daca
At Oklahoma State University, students walked across campus chanting, “Undocumented, unafraid!”
Ok @Cynthia09xx, we see you and the amazing leaders in #OKC!
This is how you show up! #HereToStay #HomeIsHere pic.twitter.com/e8VMA1Fpgp
— United We Dream 🍊 (@UNITEDWEDREAM) November 8, 2019
Trump's attack on the program has left 700,000 DACA recipients vulnerable to deportation. The Supreme Court will hear the first arguments in the case on Tuesday, while United We Dream, the Home Is Here Coalition, and other immigrant rights groups rally outside the court.
In Washington, D.C. students with Hoyas for Immigrant Rights marched on Friday from Georgetown University to the Supreme Court to rally ahead of the arguments.
— Hoyas For Immigrant Rights (@HFIR1789) November 8, 2019
Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcomed here!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ #HomeIsHere @UNITEDWEDREAM pic.twitter.com/9Gn1eXF5Ft
— Hoyas For Immigrant Rights (@HFIR1789) November 8, 2019
In Miami, high school students made signs reading, “Home Is Here.”
Miami students are ready to stand up and send #SCOTUS a message – undocumented youth are #HereToStay! pic.twitter.com/CX6js20ihA
— United We Dream 🍊 (@UNITEDWEDREAM) November 8, 2019
School walkouts were also planned throughout the day in states including California, Illinois, and Arizona, according to United We Dream.
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