Ten arrested during protest against University System of Georgia's undocumented student policies

• Joeff Davis/CL File
• Lucino Goper of Freedom House (from left), plus Georgia Dreamers Alliance activists Arturo Martinez and Diana Umana, stood up about half an hour into the Georgia Board of Regents meeting and chanted about its policies against undocumented students.

Ten protesters were arrested this morning during a protest against two controversial policies that they say have kept undocumented students from receiving equal access to higher education.

About 30 Moral Monday Georgia and the Georgia Dreamers Alliance members rallied outside the Downtown offices of the University System of Georgia, which directs policy for 31 public post-secondary institutions across the state. The University System Board of Regents, a 19-member body that governs the academic system, were holding a routinely-scheduled meeting.

Protesters marched against two specific policies, which were first enacted in October 2010, that they say prohibit undocumented students from applying to Georgia's top five most competitive colleges and deny in-state tuition rates to those with Deferred Action, a memo authored by President Barack Obama in 2012 to grant lawful presence to immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children.

In an email about the event, a Moral Monday Georgia spokesperson called both policies a "flagrant violation of longstanding human rights principles." Moral Monday Georgia made national headlines last March when Georgia State Troopers arrested 39 people for disrupting legislative proceedings in an effort to urge Gov. Nathan Deal to expand Medicaid.

John Millsaps, the Board's associate vice chancellor for media and publications, said in an email that the governing body is currently the defendant in a lawsuit on this issue and declined to comment.

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The protesters, some of which were wearing caps and gowns, walked the sidewalk in front of the building and then moved into the middle of Washington Street, where they held a prayer and continued chanting phrases such as "undocumented, unafraid!" and "lift the ban!" Several activists sat down in the crosswalk holding signs that contained messages inclduing "Education is a Human Right" and "Education Not Segregation."

Atlanta Police officers began directing traffic around the protesters and warned them that whoever stayed in the street would be arrested. At that point, most demonstrators moved back toward the sidewalk. The remaining few demonstrators were placed in restraints and taken into custody.

Eva Lanaro, one of the activists calling for education reforms, lent her voice and support to Georgia's undocumented students. "It's impossible that they can go to school, and school should be one of the rights that we should have," she said. Lanaro said she was there because her children are able to go to school and pay in-state tuition. "That's why I'm here. Everybody should be."

Ian Karra, who graduated from the University of Georgia, says he has undocumented family members and participated in the protest with a friend. "We've gone to school with these students all our lives," he said. "There's a very clear end to their education after high school, and I just think that opportunity should be open for all students."

We've reached out to APD for the full list of arrested protesters and the charges brought against them. Once we hear back, we'll post an update. Both groups are asking for donations to the Georgia Civil Disobedience Fund to help pay for the arrested activists' bail.

• Joeff Davis
• Shortly after the first group was escorted out by security, Jackie Rodriguez stood up and started shouting. She held a sign protesting against a Board of Regents policy manual that covers Admissions of Persons Not Lawfully Present in the United States.

• Joeff Davis
• After the protesters were escorted out of the board of regents meeting, they marched in front of the building.

• Joeff Davis
• Some protesters blocked traffic by sitting near the intersection of Trinity and Washington streets. After a warning from the police to leave the street, 10 protesters were taken into custody.

• Joeff Davis
• After the arrests, protesters continued to march around the University System of Georgia offices. Thomas Martinez chanted into his bullhorn in Spanish, "The Dreamers United will never be defeated."