emonstrators are arrested outside the White House Thursday. Jose Luis Magana/AP
145 Immigration Activists Arrested Outside White House
The choreographed arrests were organized to push President Obama to stop the deportations of Central American children and keep families together.
The U.S. Park Police arrested 145 immigration activists outside the White House Thursday.
The protestors were participating in National Day To Fight For Families, a choreographed event organized to push President Obama to stop the deportations of Central American children and keep families together.
One of the groups hosting the Washington D.C. protests, Casa de Maryland wrote on their website that the protests have been timed to coincide with the President's self-imposed end of the summer deadline to deal with the ongoing border crisis.
"A major priority is ceasing the deportations of children facing violence in Central America," the organization said.
The event began at the headquarters for Immigration and Customs Enforcement around noon and eventually saw hundreds of protestors march to the White House and sit down, where they were arrested for violating White House sidewalk restrictions.
Park Police Lt. Brian Huss told The Wire Thursday that the arrests were went according to plan.
"[The Park Police] had prior meetings with the protestors," Huss said. "We knew that they wanted to be arrested and they came in planning to be arrested."