The woman had climbed the statue to protest separations at the border, saying she wouldn't leave until families were reunited. Although the president has reversed the policy, hundreds of children are still separated.
Image: picture-alliance/newscom/J. Angelillo
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A woman who gained worldwide attention by climbing onto New York's Statue of Liberty on Independence Day (July 4) to protest the separation of migrant families at the US-Mexico border appeared in court on Thursday. She has been charged with misdemeanor counts of trespassing, disorderly conduct and interfering with governmental administration. The protester, Patricia O., pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The woman stayed on the statue for nearly four hours on Wednesday, and at one point walked from one side to the other, near Lady Liberty's foot. She told police she would not come down until separated migrant children were reunited with their families. She was eventally arrested after police erected a ladder to climb up and apprehend her.
Geoffrey Berman, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, called the protest a "dangerous stunt," adding: "While we must and do respect the rights of the people to peaceable protest, that right does not extend to breaking the law in ways that put others at risk." After her arraignment the woman was ordered released from federal custody by the presiding judge.
The protest action forced authorities to evacuate the premises and turn away more than 2,000 people on July 4, Independence Day in the US.
Police said they managed to bring her down from the statue without injury to her or law enforcement agentsImage: picture-alliance/dpa
While a protest group called "Rise and Resist NYC" first appeared to have distanced themselves from the woman, they later announced that they "unequivocally support" her.
"We realize that in our haste to complete the statement so that we could continue working to secure the best legal representation for Patricia, we unintentionally led people to believe that we were distancing the group from Patricia," the group said in a series of tweets.
Earlier on Wednesday, the protest group had taken credit for a banner hung at the base of the statue that read "Abolish ICE," referring to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency at the heart of the US migration debate.
Mexican deportees return to home city they never knew
Under President Donald Trump more and more undocumented migrants are being deported. Many of them have spent half their lives in the US. Every week three planes of deportees arrive in Mexico City. Sanne Derks reports.
Image: DW/S. Derks
A bitter arrival
The planes arrive at a special gate at Mexico City airport. These undocumented migrants are deported from the detention centers in the US in handcuffs and put on planes. Twenty minutes before landing they are released.
Image: DW/S. Derks
Illegal alien
George Niño de la Riviera found out he was living illegally in the US when he turned 18 and applied for a job. He was told he did not have a social security number. He was taken to the US by his parents when he was a baby and grew up there. Five months ago he was deported, having spent the last 34 years in America. His four children are living with his ex-wife in Fresno.
Image: DW/S. Derks
A foreign country
Maria Herrera, 27, was deported on April 10. She was waiting for the renewal of her Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) visa when she got involved in a car crash. She was arrested and taken to jail where she was detained for two months, before being deported. She was three years old when she left Mexico — a country that is totally foreign to her.
Image: DW/S. Derks
Starting from scratch
She met George at New Comienzos, a non-profit organization that assists repatriated people, and they started dating. "It's great to have a special friend who went through all of this too," she told DW. Neither of them knew anything about Mexico. While in detention Maria suffered depression and anxiety attacks. Now they're trying to find their way around Mexico City.
Image: DW/S. Derks
Detained and deported
As a result of a fight he had in 2003 with an ex-girlfriend, Diego Miguel Maria, 37, was arrested and then deported in 2016.
Image: DW/S. Derks
"Dump Trump and his wall"
Along with five other recently deported Mexicans, he was able to qualify for funding from the Mexican government to start a textile printing press. They call their brand Deportados and print statements on bags and T-shirts like: "Dump Trump and his wall."
Image: DW/S. Derks
A helping hand
Diego's job won't make him rich, but it allows him time to volunteer and help new deportees at the airport. "I felt so lost when I got through that door. I think it is important to guide those who are in the same shoes," he told DW. The most difficult part was leaving his son behind, who lived with him before he was deported. His ex-wife doesn't allow him to maintain contact with his son.
Image: DW/S. Derks
Starting over
Daniel Sandovan was deported in February, but appears relaxed about it. "In America I could never really invest in a future, because I had no documents. What use is an education if nobody is going to hire? Here in Mexico I have the possibility to start over. I will be able to have a wife and children without fear of losing them," he told DW.
Image: DW/S. Derks
Settling in
Daniel lives in a home for refugees above the Deportados Brand print shop. A pastor in his church organized his initial stay with a 75-year-old woman who picked him up from the bus station in Mexico City. "I stayed [with her] for two weeks, painted the house, and then I contacted Deportados Brand, after I heard that they help migrants in the detention center. Now I live here with two others."
Image: DW/S. Derks
Looking on the bright side
Although most of them do not know where they'll be sent and worry that they could lose everything in a split second, the upheaval doesn't always end badly. "It feels like my life in the States was overshadowed by fear and sadness because of my legal status. Now there's less of a burden, as I am finally free and I feel at home," Maria told DW.
