IU students protest, to face court Wednesday for allegedly trespassing Gov. Daniels' office

“My name is Omar Gama and if you are watching this, I just got arrested…My name is Erick Gama and if you are watching this, I just got arrested.”

These were statements made by Eric and Omar Gama, twin brothers who are IU students, in two separate YouTube videos that were posted Monday.  

They were arrested with three other people that day in Indianapolis during a protest over immigration bills for allegedly trespassing in Gov. Mitch Daniels’ office, said David R. Bursten, first sergeant in the Indiana State Police Public Information Office.
The three other individuals were Ana Ruiz-Toyar  Guadalupe Pimentel and Sayra Perez, Bursten said.

“They came there with the specific plan and desire to be arrested,” Bursten said referring to the five arrested individuals.

The purpose of the protest was to display opposition to HB 1402, which denies undocumented Indiana residents the right to pay in state tuition,  and SB 590, which penalizes businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Both of which Gov. Daniels signed into law Tuesday.

The arrested individuals were asked three times in about a 15 to 20 minute period to leave, Bursten said.

“They had the right to be there, but not the right to interfere with other people,” he said.

The five individuals were held in Marion County Jail so that Immigration Customs Enforcement could evaluate their immigration status, the Indy Star reported Tuesday.

“This just makes me angry that these innocent people  that didn’t really do anything wrong except go and try to talk to Mitch Daniels and now they’re locked up and hopefully will still be here with us next year, ” IU student and friend of Erick and Omar, Alma Figueroa said.

Those who are in jail are conducting a hunger strike, Figueroa said.

According the latest reports released by USA Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lifted detention orders for the five jailed individuals Tuesday and it appears as though they will not face deportation as their attorney feared earlier.

The five arrested individuals individuals will be in court at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Indianapolis, Eric Amador, IU senior and La Unidad Latina member, said.

Check idsnews.com for further updates on this developing story.

— Zach Ammerman and Brooke Lillard contributed to this report.