With signs that read “No human being is illegal” and “No more deportations!” protesters gathered Saturday afternoon outside office of Sen. Marco Rubio at the USF Connect building in the USF Research Park chanting.
“Obama! Obama! Don’t deport my mama,” they chanted.
The group, comprising USF students from Tampa’s Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter, La Raíces en Tampa, a group whose main goal is legalization for undocumented immigrants, and Farm Workers Alliance of Florida protested in an effort to push Rubio and other members of Congress to pass the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill, a bill which seeks to litigate border security, economic opportunity and the legal status of undocumented immigrants.
Gage Lacharite, a sophomore majoring in computer science and member of Tampa Bay SDS, said he protested to show his support.
“I think the importance here is just showing that this movement has numbers and that this is something that the American people demand, in a lot of ways,” he said.
Tampa resident Marisol Marquez, who has participated in several on-campus protests, organized Saturday’s protest.
“I think the Congress … they’re not really thinking of passing it, because that pretty much would give a lot of empowerment to the people,” she said.
The group left flyers and signs in Rubio’s office. Marquez said she doesn’t know if he will respond, but said “it would be wise of him to comment on it.”
