CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ten people who identified themselves as illegal immigrants have been released from a Charlotte jail after they were arrested while protesting for immigration reform near the Democratic National Convention.
A Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman says the protesters were charged Tuesday with impeding traffic and released on $2,000 bond. They had been arrested the previous day after they sat in an intersection blocks from where convention events were taking place.
The protesters had traveled to Charlotte in a colorful passenger bus emblazoned with butterflies and the slogan, "No Papers No Fear."
Police did not confirm the protesters' immigration status. The county is part of a program that screens and reports illegal immigrants to federal authorities.
The protesters say they knew they were risking deportation but wanted to draw attention to the issue.
