Aurora, CO – On the evening of Monday March 24, around 300 community members rallied in front of the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora, Colorado for a vigil protesting the unjust detention of community organizer Jeanette Vizguerra. It marked one week since Jeanette was abducted by ICE from her place of work without warning.

Vizguerra joined the rally over a phone call from within the detention center, and had her words translated by her daughter Luna Baez. She thanked the people for their presence in the fight and said, “I want everyone here to grow, for more people to show up every single Monday and keep in mind that there are other people in here, and that they have the same needs and wants at the end of the day. They all just want to go back to their family as well as address all the injustices that this administration has done to us. We need to see the people rise up.”

Those at the action came from different sectors of the people’s struggle and from all over Colorado. Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, a local pediatrician and member of Doctors Against Genocide who recently returned from providing medical aid to the children of Gaza said, “Jeanette is a part of this community. She has been part of this community longer than I have. But by fate or fortune, I was born in the U.S. She has contributed to this community and given back.” He went on, “Jeanette is a model of the kind of person that I love having in my community, and I'm determined to fight for her.”

Members of Aurora Unidos CSO held a banner of a red fist punching through a wall that read, “Nadie es ilegal en tierras robadas – No one is illegal on stolen land.”

Brandon Gherke, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO said, “Jeanette has been an organizer in the movement for years now, and we’ve got to stand up for people in our movement and defend our political prisoners and stand against these deportations.”

Gherke continued, “We know that coming out one time is not gonna fix the problem. We’re gonna start building campaigns to free Jeanette, consistently putting on pressure. The people make history, and that’s how we’re going to achieve freedom for Jeanette.”

Local musicians also performed at the rally. Los Mocochetes, a local Chicano Funk band, performed songs of liberation and one calling for the freeing of Vizguerra, while the crowd clapped in unison with the beat. The music could be heard echoing off the walls of the facility, loud enough for those inside to hear.

Among the musical performers was Jamie “Jonny Five” Laurie, a lead vocalist of the Flobots. Laurie joined the action to raise his voice for Vizguerra. Asked what he would say to Vizguerra if given the opportunity Laurie said, “I would say thank you for continuing to organize inside those walls.”

Laurie continued, “I have some community connection to other people who are who have cousins in there, who have other folks even from countries that don't get much attention and don't have a common language with people and so I know there's a lot of people in there that feel truly alone and to have somebody like her taking the time to organize and tell other people stories even as she's struggling with her own struggle, you know just speaks to the very best of humanity and so I would just want to thank her.”

The vigil ended with a statement from Vizguerra's daughter Luna, saying “Go ahead and spread the campaign. #JeanetteBelongsHere on any and all sorts of platforms. I just say let's keep on fighting as much as they try to go ahead and shut our voices down. They tried to shut my mom down. They fucked up. She has citizen children here. I don't shut up either.”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO #ICE #Vizguerra

Chicago, IL - To honor International Women’s Day, on March 9, Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosted a film screening of Si Se Puede a documentary on the 1985 Watsonville, California strike, followed by a panel discussion with activists in the Black liberation, immigrant rights and labor movements.

The documentary tells the story of a successful 18-month strike of over 1000 food processing workers by Chicanas and Mexicanas, backed up by the Chicano movement across the country.

The event was well attended by a diverse crowd of over 50 community members and activists from various sections of the people’s movement including Arab, Latino, Black and white workers and students.

The Watsonville strike was sustained for 18 months because of the unity of the workers and the support of the community for their struggle. The company hoped that their coziness with the sellout union officials would make the workers give up, but the unity of the rank-and-file workers and support from the community carried them through to victory.

Two of the panelists picked up on the struggle against sell-out trade union bureaucrats in Watsonville and recognized this obstacle from their own struggles. 

Chanel Crittenden of the Labor Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression put it, “This was a resistance led by the rank-and-file members of the union,” and that we should follow their example of unity when the capitalists attempt to undermine our unity with strategic attacks on older workers, or on healthcare benefits.

Eliza Schultz shared her experience as a UPS worker in the Teamsters in 2018 when the sellout leaders forced them to accept a contract that had been voted down. The union members who fought for a better contract were then joined by more members to defeat the sellout officers a few years later.

Vicky Lugo of El Consejo del Resistencia in defensa del Inmigrante (Resistance Council to Defend Immigrants), when she saw the Watsonville strikers having to stand up to the police, recalled her experiences organizing and winning permits for the street vendors in the Pilsen and Little Village communities in Chicago.

Another point underlined by Schultz was, “Unity is an idea built around an act.” The workers with many years of seniority revolted against the lowering of wages and cutting of benefits; younger workers were drawn in, and following that, the community rallied around them. The unity that resulted was how the strike was sustained for 18 months.

Crittenden compared the ironclad unity demonstrated by the workers in the documentary to the Chicago Teachers Union standing with their students against ICE, rallying the community with them and showing that it takes numbers to force the capitalist class to reckon with our demands.

Vicky Lugo recognized the people are scared, but they are not so scared they won’t fight back. She called for those in attendance to support a week of action beginning on May Day, including marches and boycotts, and led by their coalition of over 50 organizations.

Inspired by the women in the film, Crittenden stated, “Women didn’t fight for their right to work; Black women have always worked and want our work to be recognized. The capitalists will recognize the strength in our numbers and we can make shit happen.”

#ChicagoIL #IWD #UPS #CTU #ICE #CAARPR #Teamsters #SiSePuede #ChicanoLiberation

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, March 11, the local Palestine solidarity movement sprang into action to demand the release of student activist Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian illegally detained by ICE last week for his role in the Palestine-solidarity encampment at Columbia University. Although Khalil is a resident of New York, he was transported to a detention facility four hours away from the city of New Orleans, Jena, Louisiana for holding.

Activists rapidly mobilized a press conference, phone zap, and demonstrations, making it clear to the Trump administration and ICE that the movement in Louisiana will fight for Khalil’s release.

Press conference and phone zap calls on Representative Troy Carter to take action

At noon, six organizations spoke at an emergency press conference in front of Louisiana Representative Troy Carter’s downtown office demanding that he pushes for the release of Khalil and the reinstatement of his green card. The New Orleans for Palestine Coalition organized a day-long phone zap to ring his office.

Majdi Jaber of the New Orleans chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement reiterated the Coalition’s demand for Troy Carter to “align his actions with his words and meet with the Palestinian Youth, our elders, and our coalition partners, and also to join [Congresswoman] Rashida Tlaib and 13 other colleagues in the House in signing a letter that formally calls for the release of Mahmoud Khalil.”

Rory MacDonald, a Tulane student suspended for participationin a university encampment for Gaza, spoke on behalf of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). MacDonald said that Trump and his administration “are under the impression that they can get away with things in Louisiana that they cannot get away with in New York. We are here to tell them that they are dead wrong. The people and the students in New Orleans and Louisiana are watching, and we are going to raise hell in this city until Mahmoud Khalil is free!”

Troy Carter’s office has since released a statement condemning Trump’s attacks on students, stating, “I stand firmly against the misuse of federal power to suppress free speech. I am committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and will continue to push back against any effort that undermines the Constitution.”

Students take the streets in solidarity, demand sanctuary policies for immigrants

Later in the day at 4:30 p.m., over 100 people rallied and took to the streets demanding Khalil’s release and that Tulane and Loyola Universities declare themselves sanctuary campuses and refuse to comply with ICE. The rally began with chants like “Don’t give in to racist fears, immigrants are welcome here!” and “We want justice, you say how: free Mahmoud Khalil now!”

Student speeches called out their universities’ failures to protect immigrant students and explained why their demands must be met.

“In 2016 when students first organized to fight for this very struggle, the Tulane Undergraduate Assembly passed a resolution in favor of sanctuary. However, Tulane ignored them,” ​said Navya Prakash, a member of Together United SDS. Prakash elaborated that sanctuary policies would make it so that universities would not disclose information about students’immigration statuses to ICE, and not permit ICE on campus without a warrant.

Protesters then marched down to Saint Charles Avenue, a major roadway and home to both Tulane and Loyola University. The action halted traffic and occupied the street as Nadir Benslimane, a member of Liberate and Unite New Orleans SDS, spoke out against the purpose of political repression against activists.

Benslimane stated, “The goal of the Trump administration right now is to ensure that no one can use their free speech to speak out against the injustices that Trump and his cronies are committing here or supporting abroad.” The Trump administration has particularly targeted universities with threats to end federal funding for those that maintain their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Students then relocated to the sidewalk in front of Loyola University, chanting “Loyola, don’t comply, we are keeping DEI!” The protest concluded with calls to join one of the many organizations present to continue struggling for their demands to be met.

#NewOrleansLA #NOLA #LoyolaUniversity #LOYNO #Trump #PYM #FreePalestine #FreeMahmoudKhalil #MahmoudKhalil #SDS #ICE #TulaneUniversity #Loyola #Tulane

Colorado Springs, CO – On March 8, International Women's Day, the Colorado Springs People’s Coalition (CSPC) organized a demonstration at the Pioneer's Museum to protest Trump's reactionary agenda that attacks women and LGBTQ people and their rights. About 300 people gathered, many chanted, “Women are unstoppable, a better world is possible!”

By the early afternoon, the front of Pioneers Museum was full of signs supporting women and LGBTQ people. Palestinian flags were flown for the martyrs and survivors in Gaza, where women have had to use tent scraps and other scavenged materials as tampons. The protest emphasized justice for mothers of victims of police crimes.

Rhiannon Moon from Voces Unidas talked about how the mass incarceration system takes money from much-needed social services, stating, “The police budget has doubled over ten years, and what are the results? We wait 17 minutes for emergency vehicles and police kill our neighbors.” The march was led by a banner calling for community control of the police.

The group then marched to Jeff Crank's office. Crank is a Republican senator who has called for attacks on any group thatdoesn’t support Trump's massive ICE raids. A speaker from No Small Act gave a speech on the generational fight for women's liberation, stating, “Our grandmothers fought for our reproductive health as a constitutional right. Roe was overturned in 2022 and since then maternal mortality rates have risen in states that have anti-choice litigation.”

The group marched back to the Pioneers Museum where speeches and chants resumed into the early evening.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #IWD #ICE #Trump #WomensRights #LGBTQ

New York, NY – On February 27, the New York University Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) held a rally and picket outside the NYU Kimmel center to demand that the university senate refuse to comply with Donald Trump’s executive orders, and to commit to protecting its students from any attacks that may come in the future. 

Approximately 50 students marched outside the front entrance to the Kimmel center, where the U senate was meeting, and chanted “No compliance! With Trump’s violence!” and “When students are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!”

“NYU might promise to ‘comply with the law,’ but we will not comply with anyone, NYU-affiliated or otherwise, who seeks to threaten our rights, safety, or solidarity,” said an NYU student and speaker at the event. 

In the four weeks since Trump’s inauguration, he has enacted executive orders threatening the funding of institutions that welcome and protect trans, Black, brown, and immigrant students. Already, NYU has demonstrated a dangerous willingness to comply with these policies, preemptively canceling lifesaving gender affirming care at its institutional hospital and committing to “follow the law” when asked about allowing ICE on campus. 

The university administration has also attacked its students' rights to speech and protest, having suspended 13 activists and placed over 20 students on probation at the end of the winter term. This willingness to bend the knee to dangerous and discriminatory federal actions presents an ongoing threat to the safety of NYU’s student community.

NYU SDS commits to continued action to protect and serve our community. To quote the ending speech of the rally, “If the NYU administration refuses to defend its students against the Trump regime, we will defend ourselves.”

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #ICE #SanctuaryCampus #NYU #SDS #NYUSDS #Trump

Los Angeles, CA – On February 17, over 1000 Chicanos gathered at Placita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles to protest against ICE deportations and to fight back against Trump's racist, right-wing agenda.

The rally and march were called for by Chicana activists who used social media to get the word out. Recent protests in Los Angeles have brought out large crowds of Chicanos ready to stand up and fight, with the last one, on February 2, drawing tens of thousands who took to the streets. That afternoon protesters even took over the 101 Freeway, shutting it down for hours and completely overwhelming LAPD, LASD and CHP, which were completely unprepared and caught off guard by Raza fighting back.

The rally and march on Presidents’ Day was officially endorsed and supported by the Community Self-Defense Coalition, which is a new coalition recently announced in Los Angeles, consisting of over 60 organizations and unions. Growing every day, the Community Self-Defense Coalition is determined to defend Raza out in the streets in the face of attacks by migra. The program featured speakers from different members of the coalition like Centro CSO, Union Del Barrio, Black Alliance for Peace SoCal and many more. The spirited march made stops at the Metropolitan Detention Center and City Hall before circling back to Placita Olvera.

During the march, the large protest had a soundtrack and that played music, and ledchants like “Raza si, migra no! ” “La que no salta es migra” (Whoever doesn’t jump is migra) and “El Pueblo unido jamás será vencido” (The people united will never be defeated). The march had multiple banners of the different organizations as well dozens of flags representing countries in South America, Central America, Palestine, and Lebanon.

The leading truck flew a large Aztlán flag through the sunny spring morning in Los Angeles. When the march passed through historic Little Tokyo, the organizers shouted out and gave their respects to the Japanese people who themselves were forcefully displaced and put into concentration camps by the United States during World War II.

Veria Topete, a member of Centro CSO, said at the rally, “It felt very beautiful and empowering being with our community, standing in unity to let our brothers and sisters know that it’s not just their fight it’s our fight and they are not alone. That we are here to stand up and defend them.”

Karina Lopez, who represented Centro CSO on the program, said, “Don’t let this be the last action you take. This is only the beginning of the struggle that we have ahead of us when we organize and connect our struggles, we build power. Trump is also saying he will take over Gaza, we say hands off Palestine! Our fight against repression is connected with the fight to liberate Palestine!”

Centro CSO is a grassroots organization focused on fighting for oppressed Chicanos in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. They uplift the demands of Legalization for All, Community Control of the Police and Protect Public Education. They are proud members of the Legalization 4 All Network and affiliates of the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR).

You can find them on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook under the username @CentroCSO

#LosAngelesCA #NAARPR #Legalization4All #LegalizationforAll #ELA #BoyleHeights #Chicano #VivaLaRaza #NoDeportations #ICE #ImmigrantRights #Immigration #FreePalestine #Aztlan #Trump #PresidentsDay #LAPD #LASD #CHP

Los Angeles, CA – Chicano high school students took to the streets, February 20, to protest Trump's ICE raids, arrests, and deportations. All over the city, LAUSD students walked out of school chanting “Stop Donald Trump” and “Raza si, migra no.”

Centro CSO organizers supported East LA students at Garfield High School (GHS) by providing sound, large banners and snacks on the warm day. Gabriel Quiroz Jr led chants with the energetic students like, “Viva La Raza, viva Mexico!”

The GHS students marched to Torres High School to unite the march with more students. The march continued in the heart of East LA with many neighbors waving and honking their horns in support.

The marchers arrived at Mariachi Plaza where students from over six high schools had already arrived for an energetic rally. SEIU 721 provided a large truck and sound system. Many students spoke, denouncing Trump and ICE, expressing support for their families and community.

Longtime Chicano revolutionary Carlos Montes also participated in the march, being a graduate of GHS and a leader in the original ELA high school walkout of March 1968. “I have to be here with you to say no deportations,” stated Montes.

During the rally several LAPD police officers attempted to quickly enter the plaza, but they were met by several safety monitors wearing bright yellow vests asking police not to enter the plaza as this was a well-organized event. One of the LAPD officers, Johnny Altamirano aggressively pushed and knocked down Felipe Cazares, director of external organizing for SEIU 721, who has provided support for the students for the last two weeks. Felipe was laid flat on the sidewalk.

More safety monitors formed a line in front of the police in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. But officer Altamirano called for backup until over 20 police arrived, many wearing helmets and batons. The safety monitors held their line and asked the students to continue the rally and ignore the police. Eventually the police left, and the rally continued without any further incident. Felipe Cazares was taken to the LA General Hospital and released shaken, bruised but not deterred to support our students and community.

#LosAngelesCA #SEIU721 #ELA #GHS #LA #chicano #vivalaraza #Immigration #ImmigrantRights #legalization4all #legalizationforall #nodeportations #ICE #policecrimes

New Orleans, LA – On Tuesday, February 17, about 30 Tulane students and faculty held a rally on campus to protest Trump’s agenda. They particularly focused on fighting back against Trump’s ethnic cleansing plans for Gaza, and demanded that Tulane become a sanctuary campus immigrant students. 

Students and faculty gathered in Pocket Park, with signs reading, “Make Tulane a sanctuary campus” and “Gaza is not for sale!” They chanted, “Immigrants are here to stay, Donald Trump go away!” and “When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

Tulane students organized the rally in response to ICE activity in the New Orleans area. The fear of ICE raids has led to a drastic decrease in school attendance by Chicano and Latino students in Orleans Parish and surrounding areas. Sandy Thomas, a first-generation Latina student at Tulane, stated, “Trump wants to send 30,000 immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, a detention camp. We may scream as much as we want for change, but change does not happen without action.” 

The rally also defended the ceasefire in Gaza, after Trump’s remarks threatening to ethnically cleanse the strip. Millicent Helmka, a member of Together United Students for a Democratic Society (TU SDS), condemned Trump’s plans to expand military operations in Palestine and displace 2 million Palestinians from their homeland, stating, “The U.S. government uses your cash to build dystopian and monstrous war technology. And those machines get used on people on the other side of the planet, who had dreams, like you.”

As students and faculty continue to push for a free Palestine and sanctuary campus policies, they emphasized that their awareness and outrage must translate into fighting back.

#NewOrleansLA #TUSDS #SDS #Tulane #ICE #Guantanamo #FreePalestine #Sanctuary #SanctuaryCampus

Minneapolis, MN – In frigid weather, February 20, 50 people rallied with the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) to oppose Trump's attacks on the environment, along with the barrage of other attacks that have happened in the first month of Trump’s presidency. 

Speakers connected Trump's attacks on immigrants, trans rights, workers and Palestine to the rollback of environmental protections that Trump instituted in his first days in office.

Trump has used executive orders to push more fossil fuels and end the U.S. role in the Paris Climate Accords, ensuring that previously agreed upon goals to curb climate change won’t happen. The CJC speaker emphasized how every tenth of a percent of rising temperatures mean more intense weather, food scarcity and increasing energy costs that fall disproportionately on oppressed nationality and working class families and their communities. They also talked about the lack of action by Democrats like Senator Klobuchar, whose office the rally was in front of.

Rally goers chanted, “Stand up fight back” as the emcee rotated the attacks on immigrants, trans rights, Palestine, and workers that are happening from Trump and his cronies. 

Kristen Bledsoe from Minnesota Abortion Action Committee talked about the heart wrenching case of Sam Nordquist, a Minnesota native who had recently been tortured and killed in New York as a logical conclusion of the transphobic rhetoric coming from the Trump administration. 

Bledsoe ended her speech with, “We have to resist the impulse to shut down and hide. We have to recognize that the cruelty and the chaos of the Trump administration is meant to make us lose focus, and we have to counter that by being more strategic, more united, and more organized than ever before.” 

“Trump’s attacks on DEI show the white supremacist mindset, trying to kill anything that would make this country more equal for those who have been left out for centuries,” stated Minnesota Workers United speaker Neil Radford. Radford called on rally goers to focus on solidarity of the working class that needs to stand together and not allow Trump and his ilk to divide us. 

Mira Altobell-Resendez from the Minnesota Immigrant Action Committee talked about the important work MIRAC is doing using Know Your Rights trainings with immigrant communities and allies to stand against ICE and governmental agencies. 

Trent Fast from the Minnesota Anti-War Committee made a clear case, “We need to be mad as hell at Donald Trump and his attacks on everyday working people here at home - and those in Palestine. We all have more in common with everyday Palestinians than we ever will with people like Donald Trump. Solidarity across movements is our sharpest weapon against his presidency. Because when we stand together, there's way more of us than there are of them!”

All of the speakers emphasized the importance of getting involved and building solidarity among the people’s movements to stand against the Trump attacks over the next four years and beyond.

#MinneapolisMN #TwinCities #CJC #ClimateJustice #MNAWC #AWC #ICE #MIRAC #Immigration #NoDeportations #DEI

Los Angeles, CA – Thousands of Chicanos and immigrants marched into downtown Los Angeles, today, February 2. Waving Mexican, Colombian, Venezuelan and Central American flags, the sea of people made it clear: Immigrants are here to stay. The event was to demonstrate public outcry and unity against Trump, his racist supporters, and his many anti-immigrant executive orders.

Jordan Peña and Gabriel Quiroz Jr. with Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) led a CSO contingent at the massive event. Quiroz Jr. is also a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO). The contingent assembled at City Hall where various speakers gave energizing and inspiring speeches. Carlos Montes spoke on behalf of Centro CSO.

Peña said, “Seeing all of us gathered here today sends a powerful message: We will not be silenced, and we will not back down in the face of injustice!”

Chanting “El pueblo, unido, jamás será vencido!” And “Se ve, se siente, el pueblo está presente,” the contingent went from Plaza Olvera to City Hall. Spring and Temple Streets were completely blocked as thousands peacefully marched, chanted and danced.

“It was such an emotional and empowering experience to see my community come together, supporting our people,” said Verita Topete, who is a new Centro CSO member. “I feel personally affected by this, since my father is still undocumented!”

Nadia Topete, who is also a new member of CSO and the sister of Verita Topete, said, “It was a very emotional experience to see communities come together and stand as one. Surrounded by empathetic individuals, we marched in solidarity. I despise seeing how this administration dehumanizes us. I’ve been fighting this since I was 15, back in 2020 my oldest sister and I spoke at the 50th anniversary Chicano Moratorium march and rally on behalf of our father who was at the time being detained by ICE.”

The Topetes’ father was detained at the Adelanto GEO ICE detention center. He suffered for three years from multiple forms of abuse as well as retaliation for being a whistleblower and leading hunger strikes. Due to this, the Topete sisters vow to always support and fight for the undocumented. They joined CSO to do just this.

Continuing with the marching, Quiroz Jr. marched with the contingent back to Boyle Heights where even more people insisted on marching towards East Los Angeles.

“We Chicanos are demonstrating that we will not allow for our Raza to be attacked by Trump,” said Quiroz Jr. “In Aztlán we will continue in the fight for self-determination after this event. Our goal is complete liberation for the undocumented, Chicanos and the working class.”

Centro CSO will rally and march on February 8. Their event is part of the Legalization for All network week of action which began on January 31 and ends February 9. If you are interested in attending, the peaceful event will take place in Boyle Heights. Follow their social media for updates here: @CentroCSO on Instagram, X, Facebook or email them at CentroCSO@gmail.com.

#LosAngelesCA #LA #CentroCSO #NoMoreDeportations #NiUnaMas ChicanoPower #ImmigrantRights #FRSO #ICE #Feature

Grand Rapids, MI – Facing snow and temperatures as low as 5°F, residents of Grand Rapids marched January 20 in support of immigrant rights and in opposition to the Trump administrations’ deportation plans.

Over 100 people gathered at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids and marched to the ICE office nearby. Led by Moviemento Cosecha, a national network of immigrant and undocumented rights activists, the march kicked off the upcoming four years of resistance we expect under the new administration.

Slogans such as “End deportations” and “Papeles si, migajas no – Papers yes, crumbs no” were chanted while the group occupied the building outside the ICE office.

Gema Lowe, Cosecha’s statewide coordinator along with six others from the group, recently participated in a seven-day hunger strike outside the state legislature in Lansing demanding drivers licenses for all. Lowe stated, “Both parties promise things, either for or against us, but what they really do is make us scapegoats for their agendas. We demand that Grand Rapids, and the state, become sanctuaries so the city, county and state police don’t assist ICE with deportations.”

As the group marched from the ICE office, past the Gerald Ford Federal Building, and back towards Rosa Parks Circle, the assembled protesters held up traffic outside the DeVos Place Convention Center.

“Immigrants are human,” Lowe stated, “they need respect and a better world for themselves and their families. They enrich the fabric of this country. There is room for anyone to join this movement.” Lowe also urged people to help protect undocumented immigrants by joining Rapid Response to ICE and other groups.

Moviemento Cosecha started in 2015 and has gone through a decade of sustained struggle against three consecutive presidents who shared bad track records on immigrant rights. The group has held marches in Lansing, the state capital, for the past eight years.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #Trump #ICE

Grand Rapids, MI – On Saturday, January 19, community members took refuge from the freezing weather outside to attend a discussion and group training on how to take action against the threat of heightened ICE activity. The event took place in the crowded social hall in Fountain Street Church, with nearly 100 participants.

The organization putting on the event, Grand Rapids Rapid Response to ICE, provided the audience with plenty of context as to the urgency of the action. Kent County is home to a total of three ICE offices and it has been active in the area since the George W. Bush administration.

This event served as the launch of the organization and a response to the new threats coming from the Trump administration. Lead organizer Jeff Smith stated, “Expanding available sanctuaries by building relationships with churches and schools will be important. However, ICE officers could soon start to ignore those agreements, with being emboldened by the Trump administration.” Smith also said that they plan on launching campaigns to get the city of Grand Rapids to agree to become a sanctuary city, much like the campaigns active in other cities like Chicago.

The audience also got an introduction to what the Rapid Response training would look like, as attendees got to role play getting between a home targeted by ICE and ICE officers. The goal of the Rapid Response team is to document ICE officers and delay the raid as long as possible. Further training events will be hosted in the future, with the goal of training a large number of local community members to quickly respond to ICE raids in their neighborhoods.

In 2018 it was made public that the city of Grand Rapids had an extensive contract with ICE, including holding those in ICE custody in the Kent County Correctional Facility. The city of Grand Rapids was even being paid, by ICE, $85 per detainee each day they were in jail. The following year, ICE ended the contract – not at the request of the city, but only because of the mass support that protesters were receiving at city council meetings.

In order to allow at-risk community members to get in contact with the organization, a hotline has been created with bilingual members on the other end. The network of trained response members will then be contacted and deployed to defend the target of the ICE raid. A person in the audience shared their experience with direct action, saying, “Through community support like this, my brother was able to avoid apprehension by ICE and deportation.”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Milwaukee, WI – On January 15, Milwaukee Alderwoman Laressa Taylor held a press conference to condemn the proposal for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the city’s 9th District.

More than 200 local people, many from Milwaukee’s Black and brown communities, gathered in front of the proposed detention facility site, demonstrating their willingness to fight back against the facility and demanding that their voices are heard.

The press conference began with Alderwoman Taylor explaining the proposed modifications to the building, including adding a sally port and a chain link fence with privacy slats.

Nearly all the speakers denounced the lack of community input and consent, especially by those most directly affected in District 9. Additionally, speakers highlighted the importance of keeping families together and demanded public input and accountability over this process.

Anita Johnson, resident of District 9 and board member of the African American Roundtable (AART) – also located in District 9 – explained, “We don’t split families up. We don’t want ICE in this state. Period.”

Commenting on the press conference, a member of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (MAARPR) explained their rejection of the proposed ICE facility, stating, “The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (MAARPR) stands for community control of the police. We believe that people should have control whether ICE facilities and Department of Homeland security facilities can be put in our backyard. There's been no community input on moving this facility to district 9 and no community input whether Milwaukee wants to continue to have any ICE facility in our backyard. It is time the city reevaluates their relationship with ICE. We demand a sanctuary city now!”

The press conference ended with an impromptu chant: “No I-C-E in M-K-E!”

After the press conference, community members and organizations stuck around to socialize with one another. A member of the Milwaukee Students for Democratic Society (SDS) handed out flyers for the 24th Annual MLK Rally and March, which would include discussions linking immigration with issues like police crimes.

Voces de la Frontera, a local immigrant rights organization, discussed how they would fit organizing against this facility into their larger fight. Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, a grass roots neighborhood group, explained how the zoning exception given to the facility showed the importance of changing zoning laws. There were clear signs that organizers from all over Milwaukee plan to incorporate the fight against the facility into their work.

Based on the January 15 press conference, it’s clear that the city of Milwaukee will continue to stand up and fight back. We will continue to organize for community control of the police, including Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And we will continue to stand with immigrant rights!

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DHS #VocesDeLaFrontera #NAARPR

Tacoma, WA – On Saturday morning November 30, about 30 people gathered outside the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) in the port of Tacoma for a routine trash pickup. As the cleanup began however, community members expressed surprise to see multiple fire trucks and other emergency vehicles rapidly approaching the building.

Local organizers from Climate Alliance of the South Sound (CASS) and La Resistencia (LR) quickly responded by running to the yard to ask the people detained what was going on, but armed GEO (the security firm contracted to run the facility) guards forced them back into the building. Reviewing the local police scanner revealed that the building was on fire.

“GEO employees were running outside and being evacuated. They are scared. But what happened to the other people, our people, who are still inside? “ said Rufina Reyes of LR. “We are not animals, we are people! We need to shut this place down as soon as possible.”

After the arrival of the Tacoma Fire Department, the event turned into an impromptu rally, with song, speeches, and chants including “Power to the people! No one is illegal!”

This is the second fire at the NWDC this year that LR is aware of. Both times people detained were forced back into the burning building from the recreation yard. The last fire occurred just days after the detained Charles Leo Daniel was found dead. Daniel was in solitary confinement for four years leading up to his death.

Before this, the cleanup event had gone as planned. Programming started with words from local Puyallup Water Warrior, Dakota Case, who welcomed the crowd to the occupied Puyallup land. “The Puyallup People, we’re thankful. We’re thankful that you guys are out here doing that work today.” The land the NWDC is built on is part of Case’s ancestors’ original allotment.

Case continued, “It’s people like us that have that mindset that we can do better – we gotta give back to this land, we gotta give back to these waters, we gotta give back to the salmon.”

The cleanup was part of ongoing protests and vigils at the NWDC. The NWDC is built on top of stolen land that was turned into a Superfund site, made so polluted by industry that it is, according to the EPA, no longer fit for human habitation. Yet, thousands of people are forced to live there for years at a time, being exposed to unknown levels of toxic chemicals that wash into the yard.

“I’ve known people inside this place, and they all say it’s horrible,” said Tiny Casado, a Teamster at the UPS port of Tacoma hub. “I want to go inside and visit, but I’m afraid. Even though I have papers, I’m afraid that because I’m a Chicano who lived in Mexico that I’ll get deported just for stepping foot inside.”

Local organizations like Climate Alliance of the South Sound, La Resistencia, Native Daily Network, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and many others have formed a coalition dedicated to fighting environmental inequality in Tacoma. This coalition is called Climate Catastrophe Ground Zero and this event was the first of many similar cleanups which are planned.

“Obviously we’re not going to hear from ICE and GEO what happened, we’re going to have to fight to learn what happened,” said Maru Mora Villalpando of LR.

The workers in the Tacoma fire department were able to contain and extinguish the fire. The extent of the damage and impact on people detained is still being assessed.

#TacomaWA #ICE #NorthwestDetentionCenter #NWDC

Tacoma, WA – On March 20, approximately 50 people gathered in front of the Northwest Detention Center as part of the 24/7 vigil currently being led by La Resistencia and Tsuru for Solidarity.

The 24/7 vigil was organized in response to the horrific conditions within the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC), specifically, the alleged suicide of Charles Leo Daniel, a 61-year-old man who spent two years in solitary confinement. After the death of Daniel, at least five other detainees attempted suicide in the following days. In response to this tragedy, over 300 detainees have gone on hunger strike with several community members joining them in solidarity.

Maru Mora-Villalpando, the founder of La Resistencia who is on hunger strike, said, “If I end up in the hospital, it’s on them, it’s their lack of response. We’re asking so little. Say something, say something about Mr. Daniel, why won’t you?”

For this particular day, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) endorsed the vigil and led the demonstrators in protest against the NWDC.

Clio Jensen, a rank-and-file member of Unite Here Local 8, spoke about the recent campaign at her workplace, where workers won a strong contract that included translation rights and banned their employer from working with ICE. Jensen stated, “When we fight for and win protections for immigrant workers at our workplaces, we are making the entire labor movement stronger, and we’re making all of our movements stronger!”

In addition to chants of “Shut it down!” and “Fuck ICE! Fuck GEO!” the demonstrators sang along to the iconic labor song Which Side Are You On? changing the chorus lyrics to “Free them all tonight” and “Chinga la migra”.

Mantak Singh, a member of the FRSO, said, “ For myself, in the Punjabi community, many of us don’t speak English. If we do, we’d rather speak Punjabi in our homes, businesses and community. My parents speak Punjabi. But when you see people pushing for us to speak English, not Punjabi, in schools and on the street, that’s taking away identity, taking away culture.”

The NWDC detains immigrants of many different nationalities and religions, including a significant number of Punjabi detainees. Muslim detainees inside have reported disrespectful conditions that make their observance of Ramadan impossible.

After a hot meal provided by FRSO member Gemini Gnull, and several speakers, chanting, and singing, the demonstrators concluded with a guided grieving and empowerment meditation. Tears streamed down the cheeks of several attendees, and despite the tragic circumstances, the crowd kept their eyes locked on victory. “I’m sick and tired of this shit,” said Gnull. “We’ve got to shut it down. And we’re going to.”

#TacomaWA #SeattleWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #FRSO #LaResistencia

Elk River, MN – On the morning of March 8, around 50 people gathered at the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office to demand that the county cut ties with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The rally was organized by Sanctuary and Resistance to Injustice (SARI) and was supported by Interfaith Coalition on Immigration (ICOM), the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Filipinx for Immigrant Rights and Racial Justice Minnesota (FIRM), and various other groups who were all in attendance.

SARI has been organizing in the Elk River area for the past five years, and over this time the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office and Sherburne County board have contracted with ICE to provide bed space for immigrant detainees in their jail. Sherburne County Jail, located about 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis, is the largest immigration detention center in Minnesota. On any single day the jail can hold as many as 300 ICE detainees. Sherburne County receives $100 per detainee for an annual revenue of as much as $11 million per year.

A letter, signed by more than 100 organizations throughout the state, was given to the board asking that Sherburne County immediately end their contract with ICE to house immigrant detainees. Tuesday morning’s action was planned in support of SARI members who went into the county’s board meeting and spoke during their public comment time, demanding the county cut ties with ICE.

Speakers at the rally outside the government center included Nancy Hassett, leader in SARI; the bishop of the Episcopal Church of MN; the conference leader of the United Church of Christ; the head of the MN Council of Churches, and the pastor of First Disciples of Christ.

Several people also spoke who have either recently been detained themselves or had family members detained in Sherburne County, and they shared stories of the horrible conditions inside the detention center and various examples of how the detainees are mistreated and abused. One speaker shared a story with the crowd about vomit and feces on the walls and floors of the cells and how when a detainee offered to clean it up himself, he was ordered not to and told, “There is a reason that it is this way.”

Along with speeches, the vigil included songs, chants and a short march. Protesters could be heard singing and chanting: “ICE out now!” as the group marched around the government center to the area of the building closest to the jail where a number of detainees are currently being held. There, the group sang and chanted in support of the detainees, with the goal that those inside could hear. The action ended with a march back to the front of the building and to the side of the highway to hold signs and banners to get the support of passing traffic.

#ElkRiverMN #ICE #PeoplesStruggles #SherburneCountyJail

Minneapolis, MN – On January 23, protesters marched in freezing temperatures to bring attention to the Biden administration’s inhumane immigration policies. The march, organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), took place in a neighborhood with many immigrant families and received significant support from onlookers as protesters chanted about closing the camps, abolishing ICE, and supporting legalization for all. The protesters demanded that Biden and the Democratic-controlled Congress take immediate action to reverse all Trump-era anti-immigrant policies and act on their campaign promises to support immigrant families.

January 20 marked one year since Joe Biden became president, promising to reverse Trump's numerous extreme anti-immigrant policies. However, many of those same policies that provoked righteous outrage under Trump remain in place under Biden. This continues a tradition of Democrats making grand promises to improve the material conditions of immigrant and working-class families during election years, but once in office they backtrack and instead continue to harm those communities.

“It’s time to hold leaders accountable for their actions and promises. Immigrants and families in this country are beyond disappointed in the false promises of President Biden and his administration. Biden and the Democrats need to follow through on the promises they’ve made for decades to treat immigrants humanely and allow for legalization for all. This is not a game. Lack of action impacts the daily lives of immigrant families nationwide. We must look after each other and remember that the fight isn’t over,” said Sarah Silva, an organizer with MIRAC.

The Biden administration has continued inhumane treatment of migrants. They have continued mass deportations – nearly 1.9 million people were deported during his first year. They’ve expanded detention – over 22,000 immigrants are being detained in facilities throughout the U.S., a more than 50% increase from when Biden took office. Further, over 1000 children continue to be separated from their families. Biden has also continued construction on the southern border wall and has renewed the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, continuing the U.S.’s approach to those seeking asylum.

Another organizer with MIRAC, Diana Hernandez said, “Biden is not our savior. Nor is he our friend. He is a privileged player. He is also a man who is too afraid to lose the power he has gained and will not risk it to help those who voted for him based on a platform he has shown no signs of seeing through. We witness it not just with immigration but with voting rights, indigenous rights, police accountability and climate justice. Trump may not be president. But until Biden acts any differently, we cannot believe nor act as if things will get better for us all.”

It’s clear that Biden and Congress are failing immigrant communities. It is imperative that the struggle for immigrant rights continue, and that affected communities put increased pressure on those in power by taking to the streets.

#MinneapolisMN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #ChicanoLatino #MIRAc #JoeBiden

Minneapolis, MN – There have been some recent advances in the campaign to end cooperation between the largest county in Minnesota, Hennepin County, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The campaign has been organized by the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition, which brings together several local immigrant rights and social justice organizations.

On May 24, the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition sent a letter to Hennepin County Sheriff David Hutchinson that was signed by over 300 Hennepin County residents requesting a meeting to discuss the need to stop his department’s cooperation with ICE. The coalition was made up of members from local groups including Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Jewish Community Action, Coalition of Asian American Leaders, Black Immigrant Collective, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, Release MN8, and Unidos MN.

Representatives from the coalition had a virtual meeting with Sheriff Hutchinson and some members of his staff on July 14. In this meeting, the sheriff announced that as of June 9, his office is no longer collaborating with ICE. He explained this as meaning no more phone calls or notifications, no more providing jail rosters to ICE – essentially no more advance notice of any kind to ICE about people being released from the county jail. ICE has stopped calling Sheriff Hutchinson’s office and now considers Hennepin County non-compliant.

In the meeting, the sheriff’s staff also told coalition members that the final step in ending cooperation with ICE was the implementation of a written administrative directive dated June 9. Perhaps coincidentally, the directive is dated just two days after the coalition sent a message to the sheriff following up on their May 24 letter, and a day after the sheriff’s office contacted the coalition to schedule a meeting.

Members of the coalition acknowledge that this is not the end of their work, but that this is a big win, nonetheless.

Issues that the coalition will continue to fight for include: the full implementation of the directive and compliance by the entire sheriff’s department, ending or restricting ICE access to detainees, more formal policies within the sheriff’s department, the passage of a comprehensive separation ordinance by the Hennepin County Board to get ICE out of all Hennepin County matters, and clarification that any grants to Hennepin County from the federal government, including Justice Assistance Grants, do not contain any conditions calling for cooperation with ICE.

The campaign to end the collaboration between the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and ICE has been one that MIRAC has been fighting for for several years, as this collaboration has been a pathway to deportation for far too long. Since January 2020, MIRAC has partnered with other immigrant rights organizations in the Twin Cities to pressure the sheriff’s office to end their collaboration with ICE.

Mary Vanderford, a member of MIRAC who has been active in this campaign states, “I am encouraged that the Biden administration has changed some of the egregious policies of the previous administration. But, by no means, not all. Local officials need to hear from their constituents that we are not satisfied until all undocumented immigrants receive the same rights and protections as the rest of us. No one should be arrested for a minor offense, locked up in the Hennepin County Jail and later transferred into the hands of ICE.”

MIRAC, in collaboration with the rest of the Decriminalizing Communities Coalition, will continue to fight for a full end to collaboration between ICE and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office.

#MinneapolisMN #ICE #MIRAc #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCommittee

Under the rule change, students in the United States on F-1 visas must take at least one in-person class or face deportation. This comes at a time when many universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, are still weighing their options for online instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

“This is yet another targeted attack on immigrants disguised as a premature return to ‘business as usual,’” the statement reads. “The modified policy not only forces international students to choose between our safety and academic careers, but also makes it especially dangerous for us to join the call to cancel in-person teaching.”

The group commended the Pitt administration’s call to reverse the decision but stated university leaders needed to do more.

“We ask that Pitt immediately halt its expensive legal campaigns designed to deny us our right to form a union, and instead divert those millions of dollars to take legal action, which must include retaining immigration attorneys to serve students and faculty,” the statement reads.

“As a union, we are committed to fighting for the rights of all people to study, teach and conduct research without having to compromise their health, safety or visa status. We will not sit idly by while more workers become collateral damage due to the U.S. government’s abdication of its duties. Similarly, we will continue to hold the Pitt administration accountable to make sure it protects the safety and wellbeing of our community when making decisions about the upcoming academic year,” according to the statement.

Graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh filed for an election to join the USW in 2017. Last fall, a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board hearing examiner found that the university administration committed “coercive acts” that undermined the integrity of that election, held in April 2019, and ordered a new one. The Pitt administration appealed the decision, and this process is still underway.

#PittsburghPA #StudentMovement #ICE #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrants #StudentRights #VisitorPrograms

Under the rule change, students in the United States on F-1 visas must take at least one in-person class or face deportation. This comes at a time when many universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, are still weighing their options for online instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

“This is yet another targeted attack on immigrants disguised as a premature return to ‘business as usual,’” the statement reads. “The modified policy not only forces international students to choose between our safety and academic careers, but also makes it especially dangerous for us to join the call to cancel in-person teaching.”

The group commended the Pitt administration’s call to reverse the decision but stated university leaders needed to do more.

“We ask that Pitt immediately halt its expensive legal campaigns designed to deny us our right to form a union, and instead divert those millions of dollars to take legal action, which must include retaining immigration attorneys to serve students and faculty,” the statement reads.

“As a union, we are committed to fighting for the rights of all people to study, teach and conduct research without having to compromise their health, safety or visa status. We will not sit idly by while more workers become collateral damage due to the U.S. government’s abdication of its duties. Similarly, we will continue to hold the Pitt administration accountable to make sure it protects the safety and wellbeing of our community when making decisions about the upcoming academic year,” according to the statement.

Graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh filed for an election to join the USW in 2017. Last fall, a Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board hearing examiner found that the university administration committed “coercive acts” that undermined the integrity of that election, held in April 2019, and ordered a new one. The Pitt administration appealed the decision, and this process is still underway.

#PittsburghPA #StudentMovement #ICE #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrants #StudentRights #VisitorPrograms