Eight members of the US Congress along with several immigration advocates were arrested on Tuesday during a demonstration. Protesters were led away by the police when they blocked a street at the foot of the Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC. Eight members of the Congress, Reps. John Lewis, Luis Gutiérrez, Al Green, Raúl Grijalva, Joseph Crowley, Keith Ellison, Charles Rangel, and Jan Schakowsky, were arrested along with several activists.
Thousands of people, along with immigration activists, rallied during a protest to urge the House Republicans to vote on immigration reform. The Democrats who were arrested marched along with several protesters from the National Mall and the Capitol Hill. They were arrested when they blocked a street in front of the Capitol Hill.
Prior to the attests, thousands of activists were led by Los Tigres del Norte, a popular band. The National Mall was closed due to the US government shutdown but the National Park Service permitted the rally to take place in the Mall. The rally was conducted to push the US Congress to pass immigration reform.
People who gathered in Washington, DC carried US flags and banners encouraging the House to vote on the Senate bill that would offer the undocumented immigrants an earned path to US citizenship. They urged the US Congress to pass a bill that would let the 11 million undocumented workers to obtain legal status and wanted the Congress to stop tearing families apart.
This rally featured speeches by some members of the US Congress. The House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told the gathering that the time is now for immigration reform. She urged the House to vote on immigration reform and she praised the immigrants for the contributions they have made to the country.
Democratic congressman, Luis Gutierrez, blamed the members of the House for blocking reform. He said that there are around 40 Republicans in the House and 80 Republicans in the US Congress, who back the immigration reform bill that would legalize the ones who are living in the country in the shadows.