Seven of nine people detained at the United States-Mexico border two weeks ago in an act of civil disobedience won a small but crucial victory Monday in their efforts to be released back into the U.S.
In late July, the nine immigration activists came up to the border from Mexico. They were born there, but grew up in the U.S. and then returned to their home country. The group has become known as the "Dream 9" and they are challenging the Obama Administration’s deportation policies.
They’ve been held at an immigrant detention center in Arizona for the past two weeks. But late Monday, the National Immigrant Youth Alliance says the United States agreed with seven of the nine that they have a credible fear of living in Mexico. Mohammad Abdollahi is a group organizer.
“Now we’re gonna see them hopefully in the next couple weeks out on the street and three weeks ago that’s not something any of them would have imagined,” Abdollahi said.
They told immigration officials they feared being in Mexico because of the drug cartels. The next step is to take their argument before an immigration judge. Abdollahi says lawyers will try to negotiate their freedom until their hearings.
