| By Erin Rosa - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 4:20 pm EST |
| Also listed in: Campus Progress Updates |
As hinted by Campus Progress last week, Robert Erickson, known for tricking right-wing tea partiers into yelling “Columbus Go Home!” at an anti-immigration event recently, has deported himself.
Or at least he tried to. But for some reason, the flabbergasted security guards the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Bloomington, Minnesota turned Erickson and his cohorts away when they went there this morning to initiate deportation proceedings against themselves.
More from Bluestem Prairie:
Robert Erickson claimed that as a European Immigrant he is part of the group of people who are responsible for the largest genocide in history committed against the Native peoples of the "Americas" and that he and his immigrant ancestors never obtained any legal status from the people who were inhabiting this land before they colonized it for their own self-serving purposes.
Thirty supporters including members of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition were present to document the reaction of ICE and to provide encouragement for the self deporters who took part in what a representative of self-described "Federal Protective Service" officers called a "major demonstration" as they communicated with each other on walkie-talkies and phones.
A self-indulgent form of activism? Most definitely.
Did it actually change anything? No.
Comedic relief amid a national debate pertaining to our horrifyingly unjust and broken immigration system? You betcha.
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We don't expect these kind of actions to change the majority of public opinion to support open borders and immediate legalization. But it has rallied many disheartened supporters and we have gotten a few press calls that are actually interested in exploring the nuanced message.
That being said, MIRAc as an organization does not take credit for this action. We support the efforts of individuals who want to take creative actions to advance the movement. I say this because we have been criticized for association with these kind of "provocateur" activists. There are assumptions that there is a proper way of acting and supporting the movement and that people who use other tactics should be reigned in. Not that I think this is what you believe, just sayn'.