2 students arrested in protest speak out - CBS 5 - KPHO

For a second day students took to the streets outside Trevor Browne High School  in protest of what they said is the unfair treatment of illegal immigrants in the Valley.

To Rocio and Jackie Sanchez, the message was worth the threat of arrest and even deportation. Both, who are admittedly in the country illegally, were taken into police custody and charged with civil disobedience during the protest.

"It was very intense I did not know what was going to happen, but I was willing to risk it all. I knew what I was getting myself into," Rocio Sanchez said.

"I know when I was young my mom was always like 'don't tell anyone that you are undocumented.' We were scared, 'what if they call immigration? What if this happens?' so we don't want kids our age to do that. We do not want them to be afraid we don't want them to be ashamed of being undocumented," Jackie Sanchez said.

The price for their message could have been a difficult one, and while they admit their short time behind bars was not easy, they feel it shows the community that an arrest is not an automatic deportation.

"We wanted to tell them that it does not usually happen, it is a choice that ICE makes not the sheriff and not the police, Sheriff Arpaio does not have that much power and so it was not that scary," Jackie Sanchez said.

Neither girl is sure they will protest in a away that leads to arrests again, but they hope that their message was heard and people will see there is nothing to fear when a community comes together.

Both girls are waiting to find out if, and or when, they might have to make a court appearance on the civil disobedience charge, but they said they are likely not to face anything else.

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