Rep. Paul Ryan Avoids DACA Questions From DREAMers During Book Signing
Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., was confronted over his stance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program during a book signing session in Florida.
United We Dream released a video from an Aug. 23 book signing session by Ryan. Representatives from the organization asked why he opposes DACA and if he wants to see the program's recipients deported.
A brother and sister first confronted Ryan, and they asked the congressman if he wants to see the siblings deported.
"I want you to read the book, and you can get my answer," Ryan said, referring to the reasons he opposes DACA. "You can get the answer in the book."
The siblings were escorted away from the book signing by a bookstore employee.
Ray Jose, an organizer for United We Dream, went alone to confront Ryan. The Wisconsin Congressman said he wasn't answering questions.
"I myself benefit from DACA," Jose said. "And we're here today in Florida at Congressman Paul Ryan's book signing, his book 'The Way Forward.' We asked Congressman Ryan and we confronted him, 'Do you want to take away my DACA and deport me? Are you going to take Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and deport us, deport dreamers like myself? And if so, if that's your way forward, know that DREAMers before me fought for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and DREAMers like myself will defend it.'
"Congressman Ryan decided to ignore us, and we were escorted by police," Jose added.
As Latin Post reported, Ryan favors providing legal status to many of the 11.7 undocumented workers innthe country but has said undocumented immigrants should "earn" their citizenship.
The Ryan confrontation is the latest by DACA recipients after Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, and Rep. Rand Paul, R-Ky., were met by DREAMers in early August. The DREAM Action Coalition's Erika Andiola and Cesar Vargas introduced themselves to King and Paul as DACA recipients. Andiola and Vargas had a seven-minute debate with King about his stance on DACA.
DACA, implemented by an executive action by President Barack Obama in 2012, has allowed over 550,000 undocumented immigrant youths to stay in the U.S. According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, more than 673,000 people had applied for DACA as of March this year, and 553,197 were approved.
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