BY DEAN MOSES
No sleep ’till citizenship!
Immigrants and advocates
took a creative approach to
garnering Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer’s attention
on Oct. 6 when they
slept outside of his home on
Prospect Place to put pressure
on the Democratic leader
to deliver on citizenship in
the federal budget reconciliation
package.
“Today we are going to
sleep on the street,” said
Manuel Farfan, a young
leader from Make the Road
New York, who added that
the number of people sleeping
outside the Brooklyn politician’s
home does not compare
to millions who live in fear of
deportation.
“We are asking for help
and support,” Farfan said.
“We want him to know we are
here and want actions now.”
The sleep-in was hosted by
a bevy of local organizations,
including Make the Road New
York, New York Immigration
Coalition, Center for Popular
Democracy, New York Communities
COURIER L 14 IFE, OCTOBER 15-21, 2021
for Change, Carroll
Gardens Association, and
Faith in New York.
Those who participated believe
that Schumer holds the
power to lead Democrats, and
has made a promise to create
a citizenship pathway for undocumented
immigrants.
“We are here today to put
pressure on Senator Schumer
in order to create a path for citizenship
to give us his support
and vote,” Farfan said, adding
that many of the state’s immigrants
have struggled even
harder during the course of
the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m here to represent my
family, all of the immigrants,
and all of the essential workers
that have struggled during
the pandemic. We’ve been
fi ghting for decades, a lot of
protest pushing this effort.”
Sleeping bags and mats
were carefully placed along
Prospect Park adjacent to
Schumer’s home, where demonstrators
ate together and
discussed how immigrants
are the backbone of the United
States economy in both Spanish
and English. Participants
also disclosed the catastrophic
impact the pandemic
has had on them while some
struggled to maintain jobs
and others worked throughout
quarantine within essential
industries.
This was not the fi rst time
protesters showed up outside
of Schumer’s home to call for
change.
The same groups also held
an evening vigil outside the
pol’s Park Slope home, as well
as in front of his offi ce, each
time making the same demands:
that a pathway to citizenship
be solidifi ed in the
next budget.
Schumer’s offi ce did not
immediately respond to a request
for comment.
The protesters’ demands were
clear: “Immigration reform now.”
Photo by Dean Moses
Demonstrators slept outside of Senator Chuck Schumer’s Brooklyn home
on Oct. 6 to demand a pathway to citizenship be included in the budget
reconciliation package. Photo by Dean Moses
‘We want action now!’
Protesters sleep outside of Schumer’s home demanding
pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants