NEW YORK �� Four people protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies staged a sit-down protest and briefly blocked the Thanksgiving Day Parade route before cops removed them Thursday.
The protesters were young people who came into the country undocumented, but were allowed to stay, according to the Seed Project.
Trump ordered the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in September. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in October said the program would end in in March.
Congress is now considering the measure and debating whether it should be included in a pending budget bill.
The protesters, dressed in red T-shirts, sat down in the middle of the street on Central Park West at 70th St. and were soon ushered off by police. They were not arrested, spokesman Roberto Juarez said.
Barbara Hernandez, 25, an early childhood teacher, came from California to participate.
"It was scary at the beginning. I was scared of being arrested, I was scared of losing my job," Hernandez said. "But once there, I felt empowered, having them with me, and knowing it wasn't just for me _ it was for everyone, not just the Dreamers, but all 11 million."
Hector Martinez, 26, a Ditmas Park yoga teacher, said the aim was to draw attention to the young and hopeful immigrants.
"What we're trying to remind people is that they're the ones who shape a democracy, and it's their voices that shape what the future is.
"Today was successful in that we were able to remind the immigrant community that they don't have to live in fear.
"When you work together, you can change the way things are."
