A group of illegal immigrants and their supporters shouted down Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat who serves as House Minority Leader, on Monday as she tried to speak about her support for the Obama-era DACA program.
Pelosi, a reliably liberal former Speaker of the House, recently met with Republican President Donald Trump to discuss a legislative compromise helping to protect people brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
But the activists, holding signs saying ‘Democrats are deporters’ and ‘Fight 4 all 11 million’ – a reference to the overall number of illegal immigrants thought to be living in the U.S. – wouldn’t let her speak.
‘You’re a liar! You’re a liar!’ they shouted, and ‘Democrats created an out-of-control deportation machine!’
‘Just stop it, now,’ Pelosi, 77, tut-tutted.
Illegal immigrants and their supporters berated House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday and prevented her from speaking about the DREAM Act, saying that Democrats are sellouts for negotiating with President Donald Trump
She ultimately gave up and left the presser without finishing.
The NBC Bay Area affiliate captured video of the activists berating Pelosi as a sellout.
Monday’s event was called to support passage of the DREAM Act, which would permanently protect DACA recipients and put them on a path to citizenship.
DACA refers to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that shields so-called ‘Dreamers’ from deportation and guarantees them work permits.
President Donald Trump (Top right) and Vice President Mike Pence (Top left) meet with: (clockwise from lower left) House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in the Oval Office of the White House September 6, 2017 in Washington, DC
But Monday’s mob wasn’t interested in any legislation that left the rest of the country’s illegal immigrant population twisting in the wind.
They also objected to concessions Democrats are prepared to make to the White House on border security.
‘Shut down ICE!’ some yelled. ‘All of us or none of us!’
‘We are not your bargaining chip!’ others chanted. ‘We demand accountability!’
Pelosi tried to placate the shouting opposition to her political left as California Democratic Reps. Barbara Lee and Jared Huffman looked on.
‘You’ve had your say, and it’s beautiful,’ she said, but ‘you don’t know what you’re taking about.’
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (L) makes a point to President Donald Trump (2nd L) in the Oval Office as White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short (R) looks on towards the end of a meeting between the President and Congressional leaders prior to President Trump’s departure from the White House for a tax reform event in North Dakota September 6, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump has struck a deal at the meeting with Sen. Schumer and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to fund the disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey, raise the debt ceiling for three months and keep the government open through the end of December
‘It’s clear you don’t want any answers,’ Pelosi told the protesters before walking out.
‘They don’t want the Dream Act,’ the frustrated Democrat told reporters outside.
‘We need to have a conversation, but that was completely one-sided. They don’t want any answers.’
An organizer with one of the groups that staged the protest told Politico that ‘Democrats are representing themselves as the resistance when the reality is they haven’t done anything.’