There was a low turnout on Tuesday for a protest supported by the political opposition that was meant to show support for activist Melissa Ann Holder, known on social media as Melissa “Melly Mel” Atwell.
The protest was organised at the Square of the Revolution, Brickdam, Georgetown. Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform and Guyana’s Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton and leader of the Alliance for Change, Nigel Hughes attended the activity.
Some of the individuals at the protest
Despite their mobilisation efforts, there was a low turnout for the protest.
Members of the opposition opined that Melly Mel’s arrest is related to her activism against the Guyana government, however the protests are effectively against Trumps Immigration Policy. Arrests made by ICE are unrelated to matters of freedom of speech and activism. ICE handles matters related to enforcing US federal laws, including criminal investigations and the removal of individuals who violate immigration laws. ICE also investigates a wide array of transnational crimes, including financial fraud and scams; worksite and employment crimes; cybercrime; intellectual property theft and trade fraud; and identity and benefit fraud.
Some of the individuals at the protest
And since Donald Trump took office, there has been an intense focus on US immigration policies. Trump’s administration has been cracking down on illegal immigrants.
The News Room understands that Melly Mel went to the US on a visitor’s visa and it is unclear if her legal status in the United States was changed. She had claimed in one of her social media posts that she is a U.S. citizen but her arrest by ICE suggests that she is not.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds for Melly Mel’s legal fees, and has raised thousands of US dollars. But it suggests that she was arrested for her activism against the Guyana Government.
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