Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva was arrested Tuesday in Washington D.C. during an immigration rally.
The progressive congressman from Arizona was arrested during a “planned civil disobedience” with a group of his colleagues in Washington D.C., his spokesman, Adam Sarvana, confrimed with ABC News.
ABC reports that Grijalva was being booked around 1:45 p.m. (4:45 p.m. EDT) and was expected to be released by Tuesday evening.
During the Obama administration’s government shutdown, 90-year-old World War II veterans in wheelchairs were prevented from visiting their own memorial, and the entire National Mall was barricaded. The barricades are down today for the nationally-organized “March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect” demonstration.
About 30 members of Congress attended the rally, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
The event was sponsored by the Casa de Maryland. Susana Flores, a spokesperson for the rally, confirmed that the Park Service will allow the event to take place under the group’s “Rights granted by the First Amendment”.
Still, there are numerous barriers around the park with signs informing visitors that the area is closed as a result of the government shutdown.
CASA de Maryland claims to be “the largest Latino and Immigrant organization in the state of Maryland, and a key partner in the national campaign for immigration reform. Along with our sister organization CASA in Action, a registered 501 (c) 4, we are leading the movement for social justice for Maryland’s low-income Latino and immigrant community.”
Event sponsors include: Alliance for Citizenship, NEA, SEIU, Center for Community Change, and the AFL-CIO.