Immigration Demonstrators Rally In SW OKC

Demonstrators on both sides of the immigration issue rallied near Interstate 240 and Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon, speaking out about the children being housed at Fort Sill.

Saturday, July 19th 2014, 7:05 pm

By: News 9

Immigration Demonstrators Rally In SW OKC

Demonstrators on both sides of the immigration issue rallied near Interstate 240 and Pennsylvania Saturday afternoon, speaking out about the children being housed at Fort Sill.

A few dozen protesters stood along a foot bridge over I-240 waving American flags and holding signs, angry about the undocumented children being housed in the country.

“Our country is being invaded, our government won’t do anything about it and I’m paying for it,” said Debbie Schaer. “I’m paying for those kids down in Lawton and those kids out in Arizona and the kids being shipped out to California.”

Schaer and others believe housing the children sends the wrong message. She wants a tougher response to the undocumented children, even if that seems harsh.

7/18/2014 Related Story: We Paid For It: Cost Of Caring For Unaccompanied Illegal Children

“The first thing we need to do is stop the flow of people coming into this country illegally, and I would send the National Guard down to the border, I would send military down to the border,” said Schaer. “We need to send a message that these people coming over here are not going to be able to stay, and they don’t need to stay.”

But a group of counter-protesters want amnesty for the undocumented children.

“These are children, and regardless or being illegal or not, being born here or born in another country, they should have the right to be fed and clothed and, you know, have a roof over their head,” Alicia Rubio said.

Rubio said, as a mom, she sympathizes with the children at Fort Sill.

7/10/2014 Related Story: Kelly Ogle Goes Behind The Scenes At Fort Sill

“If I had the opportunity to send my children where they do provide that and to give them a better life, I would do that,” said Rubio. “Illegal or not, they’re children.”

At one point, police were called out to the protest as demonstrators got quite close to each other, but they told News 9 it didn’t turn out to be anything big and they left without incident.