After more than two weeks of marching, chanting, singing, and sometimes getting caught in the rain, the group of activists who walked 230 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C. to call on the Supreme Court to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program have arrived.
In a powerful video shared by Make the Road New York—one of the groups leading the march alongside NAKASEC, CASA, and (Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights) CHIRLA—“Home Is Here” marchers cheered, hugged, and wiped away tears as they crossed their finish line on Sunday. Many described walking not just to defend this popular and successful program, but to also defend all immigrant families.
Marcher Eliana Fernández, one of the lead plaintiffs in the litigation going before the justices on Tuesday, said she was marching for her children. "They are my everything, and they are the main reason why I became part of the lawsuit," she said. "It was the only way that I had to fight for my family, to fight for my kids."
Roughly 700,000 young immigrants have been protected by the program, which the administration rescinded in 2017, but then partially kept in place after lower courts ruled that officials’ decision to end it was “arbitrary and capricious.” The administration is now hoping the Supreme Court will complete its dirty work by killing it and throwing not just the lives of 700,000 people into further chaos, but the lives of their 250,000 U.S. citizen kids as well.
The day before the march ended, the reasons why Fernández marched—her children—joined her in the final stretch to the court. ”To say how happy I am to have them here with me is an understatement,” she tweeted at the time. “Our family belongs together, all immigrant families belong together.”
As we’ve previously noted, terminating the DACA program has been one of the most unpopular decisions by the Trump administration, earning widespread bipartisan rebuke. It took a new House of Representatives to pass permanent protections, but legislative grim reaper Mitch McConnell refuses to let the Dream and Promise Act go up for a vote.
It’s this blockading that makes it all the more essential that DACA remains in place until permanent protections—something supported by nearly 90% of Americans—can pass. Fernández and another plaintiff, Carolina Fung Feng, told CNN that of course they encountered some folks who opposed them during the 230 mile journey, but it was overshadowed by those who patted them on the back.
“One woman rushed out of her house with a poncho when she saw the group, and apologized she didn't have more to give … Donors have offered them warm meals. Churches have given them places to sleep at night. Supporters have seen their signs and cheered or honked car horns in support.” In D.C., more supporters waited to cheer them on as they arrived.
On the eve of the Supreme Court taking up this historic litigation, Fernández said “We are Americans in every way but papers. Let people know our stories, our struggles, our values, our humanity. My life and the lives of thousands rests on the hands of the Supreme Court. I’m hopeful that they will rule on the right side of history and we will win.”