West Seattle scene: Hate-Free Delridge’s pro-DACA demonstration

(WSB photo)

If you drove/rode/walked along the north stretch of Delridge Way SW earlier this evening, you might have seen Hate-Free Delridge‘s demonstration on the pedestrian overpass. They were there to express support for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), the program that has postponed deportation for undocumented immigrants who were brought into the U.S. as children. As this federal webpage notes, the program is ending, though members of Congress are working on alternative plans.

TJ October 11, 2017 (7:16 pm)

DACA needs to be honored. Deporting these people isn’t a option. But, the program needs to be cut off to the people who are here now and not any future arrivals trying to take advantage of it.

Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (7:13 am)

Agree 100%.

Chuck Jacobs October 11, 2017 (8:44 pm)

DACA does not need to be honored. It is not a law. It is a policy created by the previous administration. It exists only because congress won’t stick it’s neck out and create a real immigration policy.

In the meantime, if you are residing in the United States and you are not a citizen,and you do not have a visa, you are undocumented = illegal alien = criminal. If your parents dragged you across the border when you were two, you are still a citizen of whatever country you came from. It’s not your fault, but it’s not the US government’s fault either. If my parents smuggled me in to France as an infant and I grew up speaking only french and knowing only french culture, that wouldn’t entitle me to French citizenship or permanent residency when I turn 18. The same goes for Germany or Japan or any other nation.

Deportation in this situation is absolutely an option. If you take that off the table, you have almost no enforcement authority. Imagine if the police weren’t allowed to write tickets for speeding or running red lights. Without a threat of fine or jail, very few people would be bothered to obey traffic laws.

The situation the so-called “dreamers” are in is lousy, but it is their parents doing, and ours for letting this go on for so long. We need comprehensive immigration reform which does not reward people for breaking the law just because they did it for a long time.

SeaCons October 11, 2017 (9:11 pm)

Strange that they don’t wave any American flags..

WSB October 11, 2017 (9:16 pm)

They’re not waving any flags at all. Why is that “strange”?

Kim October 11, 2017 (9:53 pm)

Strange that you were looking for something negative to say. And “not let any future arrivals take advantage of it”? Who are you people? Have you looked at the world lately? You think the U.S. hasn’t been complicit in so much of the tragic upheaval in our universe? Maybe you are Russian trolls, stirring up the ugly, bombastic, nationalist crap–waiting for your ilk to join in.

Rusty October 11, 2017 (10:53 pm)

Wow Kim, I don’t think hoping that legalizing 800,000 DACA folks while not wanting to automatically turn that number into 2 million or more is that crazy. I also don’t think that enforcing the law and focusing more on helping our own citizens than foreign nationals is ‘radical’. We can vote to change those laws – and I think the country actually just did that. Hopefully congress will do their job and give them legal status, as that’s the only way to ensure they can stay.

As for the comment on the U.S. – yes, I have been upset by a lot of things as well. I wasn’t pleased to learn that the WMD reasoning for Iraq was grossly inaccurate. I was upset while waiting to use a phone in Ramadi to see Harry Reid on AFN say ‘This war is lost’. I was floored when we let Baghdadi out of Camp Bucca in ’04, and al-Adnani in 2010, then precipitously withdrew, leaving those who had partnered with us to create a free Iraq to have their families wiped out by Isis. When the administration embraced the muslim brotherhood and the ‘Arab Spring’, then gave Iran over a billion dollars, a path to nuclear weapons, and more regional influence, I thought those were disastrous ideas. Fortunately or unfortunately, in our imperfect constitutional republic, we get the leadership we deserve. I hold out hope that we get it right more than wrong, that no matter what decisions are made we have more good people of good will that can make the best of most situations, and help each other. America does still give more in foreign aid and private donations than any other country.
Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (7:21 am)

Um, OK?

Let’s take a look at the world. In comparison to other nations, the US has some of the most relaxed immigration and border laws in the world. Correction, the US is one of the most relaxed countries when it comes to enforcing it’s own immigration laws. A good start would just be enforcing the laws we have on the books now.
- Katie October 12, 2017 (10:24 am)
  
  Lax immigration laws are part of why we got where we are. Immigrants keep us strong and vital – mentally nimble.

TJ October 11, 2017 (10:38 pm)

Um, what? Is the world worse “lately” than at other times the last 80 years? I think not. And I do have a ton of nationalist pride. Strange how some think that is a bad thing now for some reason that is never explained. Like I said in my previous comment, I support DACA for those here now, but there has to be a cut-off to prevent it being a reason to promote illegal immigration. We have legal immigrant quotas, which are apparently going down, and those in line from other parts of the world wait and go through a lot to get here. Supporting this program to keep going on really is like supporting open borders

Katie October 12, 2017 (10:29 am)

Lax immigration policy has been a boon to us for decades. Why would we give that up?

alkistu October 11, 2017 (10:58 pm)

The fact that this group of concerned citizens were out there to express there view of a sad situation is tantamount to waving the american flag. BTW the flags we wave these days are made in China.

dky October 12, 2017 (2:05 am)

the flag is a piece of cloth. it has no eyes. it cannot speak. it cannot hear. it cannot give you life. yet people worship the flag as if it is a god.

the flag is a piece of cloth.

eegasspp!

Chuck Jacobs October 12, 2017 (5:36 am)

“BTW the flags we wave these days are made in China.”

Most US flags I see are made in America. Check out Annin or Valley Forge. If you’re thinking of paper cupcake flags on toothpicks, China is a good bet.

Justin October 12, 2017 (7:14 am)

Honk honk! Keep it up West Seattle. Love Trumps Hate.

Shockley October 12, 2017 (8:38 am)

Justin, I also love trump’s hate.

Glad to see someone else with their head on straight here on the WSB.

Jack Sparra October 12, 2017 (10:52 am)

Why is immigration reform characterized as hate? Isn’t border control rational? Hate implies this is targeted verses rational. We need sustainable, managed approach, that’s not hate, but good stewardship of the country.

Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (12:28 pm)

Don’t go getting all rational on us Jack! It goes against our nation’s “Outrage Mentality”.

Lagartija Nick October 12, 2017 (11:40 am)

Jack, this is targeted at only Mexicans and Muslims. Thus, hate. The administration’s family has been caught selling citizenship to Russians and Chinese, they aren’t being targeted for deportation. Neither are the Europeans and Australians who overstay their visas. When only Muslims are barred entry and ICE targets only Mexicans for deportation, that is the very essence of hate.

Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (12:24 pm)

Sorry but you are completely wrong. It’s not hate. It’s just reality. First, it’s not just Mexicans. It’s Mexico and Central America. Second, like it or not, this group makes up the largest group of immigrants coming here legally and illegally. Third, the greatest terrorist threats are coming from Muslim nations. It’s not hate, it’s just reality

Why is that so hard to see? If those crazy Canucks started coming across the border in the same numbers, we would “target” them as well. Hmm, wonder if that would be racist and amount to hate? ICE doesn’t just target Mexicans. It’s not as headline grabbing as sending someone from Australia home.

Do you think Canadians and Australians are full of hate? They both have stricter immigration laws on the books and enforce them more stringently than the US. They must be haters, right?

And you’re point about “selling citizenships”. I’m sure no other former Administration has ever done that. No, never. Not saying it’s right, but it’s not only a Trump issue.

Mickymse October 12, 2017 (12:05 pm)

Not really sure how waving signs on an overpass across Delridge “supports” anyone. Were there even any DACA designees there? Is the assumption that many DACA designees might be driving by or riding a bus below? I mean, I’m glad this makes people feel better, but there are countless better ways to actually support DACA — but that might require people to leave the neighborhood, actually meet folks very different from themselves, commit time and money, and/or have some really uncomfortable conversations with opponents. Bottom line, waving political signs in an area where EVERY SINGLE POLITICIAN representing the area supports DACA accomplishes nothing.

ScubaFrog October 12, 2017 (3:46 pm)

Unregistered immigrants make up a massive part of America’s economy. In fact at this time in his Presidency, President Obama had deported more than trump.

I’m pro-Daca, anti-trump/gop/bigotry/racism/homophobia/Nazi/kkk.

In 2020 hopefully we can make a path for these wonderful people to become citizens even easier, and bring them back en masse.

It’s a shame we can’t deport Red State Conservatives and the GOP instead, whilst they demonstrate with torches, white hoods and swastikas.

Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (7:52 pm)

I hope that you are not saying all “red state conservatives” are racists and bigots? If so you are no different as those you’re condemning. Hopefully you understand that?

Just curious, based on your statement about Obama’s deportation rate, do you consider him a racist?
- ScubaFrog October 12, 2017 (8:27 pm)
  
  I’m saying the GOP is racist. So far I’ve yet to be proven wrong (you realize that the GOP representatives are 99% white). If you can prove me wrong, I’m listening to a cogent, well-thought out argument with sources — think doctoral thesis.
  
  President Obama isn’t a racist. Deportation makes one not a racist. He wasn’t perfect re the Patriot Act, the Iraq War, Gitmo and the War in Afghanistan. But he hit a Home Run with Obamacare and the rest of his Presidency.
  
  Re cheeto: Calling all Mexicans “rapists” does make one a racist however. Comparing Nazis to peaceful protesters is racist. Not renting to blacks is racist. Holding aide from Puerto Rico whilst promising eternal aide to Texas makes one racist. Throwing paper towels at people in need makes one a racist. Re-tweeting things from white supremacist twitter accounts makes one racist, are you catching on?
  
  I’m excited to open immigration to Muslims again, we should bring them in by the hundreds of thousands, along with our Hispanic compatriots. TRULY Make America Great with what our Founders intended: Immigrants!
  - Brewmeister October 12, 2017 (9:41 pm)
    
    Pretty sure you also said “red state conservatives” as well. But clearly that’s not what you meant. Pot, meet Kettle.
    - ScubaFrog October 12, 2017 (10:42 pm)
      
      Red state conservatives = GOP = racists. I have no problem making that statement.
      
      Again: Blue states earn $1.55 trillion annually.
      
      Red states’ leech blue states’ tax monies for their subsidies and welfare (and they whine about welfare). The largest group on welfare in red states: White males. SAD! Per capita, why are there so many more white males on welfare in red states vs. blue states?

Kim October 12, 2017 (8:50 pm)

Until you figure out that we have caused most of the horrendous situations from which people are fleeing–which would take a lot of soul-searching on the part of some commenters here, you’ll just keep up the rhetoric about immigration of any sort. Basking in blissful unawareness of what went down in Central America, Iraq, etc., makes for easy anti-immigration instincts. Immigrants strengthen our nation, and America owes a whole lot to so many of the terrorized and uprooted. Go read some history.

Sorry, comment time is over.