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Advocates are pushing for the release of a second "Dreamer" arrested by immigration authorities early Sunday morning.
As WW reported Tuesday, Emmanuel Ayala Frutos, 21 is one of three men caught in a immigration sweep of young adults who under the Obama administration had protection from deportation through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Immigrants who came to the United States as children and have committed no serious crimes are eligible under the program are eligible for working papers under the program. But the arrests of "Dreamers" across the country have raised fears that the Trump Administration won't honor those protections.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and other groups successfully pushed for the release of Francisco J. Rodriguez Dominguez, the other "Dreamer" arrested Sunday. He was released Monday on a bond.
Last Thursday, Emmanuel Ayala Frutos, 21, went in to be fingerprinted by immigration authorities as part of renewing his DACA status. Three days later, on Sunday morning, he was arrested without a warrant at his home in North Portland, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon.
Ayala Frutos, who take medication for bipolar disorder and uses a wheelchair after he was hit by a car while skateboarding, arrived in the U.S. at age 6, according to the ACLU. The accident required a six-week stay in a hospital. He got out of the hospital in February.
He does not have his wheelchair with him, according to the ACLU.
"Removing Emmanuel from his family right now is cruel," said Andrea Williams, executive director of Causa Oregon. "Emmanuel needs to be back at his home in Portland where he can heal and recover. His family is very worried. We all are very worried."
According to the ACLU, Ayala Frutos, whose DACA status expired earlier this month, plead to a misdemeanor in Clark County, Washington, for possession of a butterfly knife in November.
It's not clear whether U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement views that offense as grounds for not renewing DACA status. A spokesperson for the agency says they're preparing a statement.
Full release: