Protesters urge Pa. reps not to support immigration crackdown
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After the fire at the Vox building, Tiger Strikes Asteroid relocated permanently to the Crane Arts Building on North American Street. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Jane Irish (left) and Mary Henderson of Tiger Strikes Asteroid galleries set up a show at the Crane Arts Building, their first since a fire displaced them from the Vox building on North 11th Street. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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The workspace at 990 Spring Garden accomodated several galleries displaced by the fire at the Vox building on North 11th Street. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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''Mourn'' by Nicholas Fagan is shown by Napoleon gallery at 990 Spring Garden Street. Napoleon is one of several galleries displaced by a fire at the Vox building. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Several of the galleries displaced by a fire at the Vox building have found a temporary home at 990 Spring Garden, including Napoleon, Marginal Utility and Automat galleries. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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James Merle Thomas, executive director of Vox Populi artists collective, has wrangled a gallery space at 990 Spring Garden. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
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Protesters around Pennsylvania spent Wednesday urging the commonwealth’s Republican US senators and congressional representatives not to support a budget bill that routes significant dollars toward enforcing immigration laws — including $1.6 billion to build a wall on the Mexican border.
One group braved torrential rain to bring the message to Congressman Lou Barletta’s office in Harrisburg — and they even brought props.
Protesters wait their turn to file remarks with staff at Barletta’s Harrisburg office. (Katie Meyer/WITF)
After waiting out a downpour, a handful of constituents, local organizers, and members of pro-immigration reform group CASA filed into the conservative Barletta’s quiet office.
They carried with them a box of shoes, which CASA regional director Elizabeth Alex said is a significant gesture.
“These shoes are representing the empty shoes that are left behind when a family member is detained or deported by ICE,” she explained.
The protesters were allowed into Barletta’s office two at a time to voice their concerns to a secretary, who said she’d pass their remarks along.
Mike Buchanan, of Carlisle, said he’s unhappy the Trump administration is prioritizing its illegal immigration crackdown so strongly
“I think too many people don’t realize how much it would cost — billions of dollars — to remove the people that are quite happy here and that contribute to America,” he said.
His wife, Ellen Graham-Buchanan, agreed.
“There’s cost involved with this,” she said. “They’re costs to people. And they need to remember this, and become a little more — how shall I say? — humane.”
In a statement, Barletta said he supports his constituents’ right to protest peacefully.
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