Legalization and education instead of deportations, say pro-immigrant leaders and organizations on May Day

The protests on Thursday, in celebration of International Workers’ Day or May Day, continued throughout the day in different locations, all with the same objective of denouncing ICE’s illegal tactics against immigrants and their families.

In MacArthur Park, hundreds of people gathered waving flags from different countries, from Mexico to Palestine, as well as signs in favor of immigrants. The rally under the slogan of “Abolish ICE, the Right to Organize and Unionize and Education no Deportation” was organized by the Community Self-Defense Coalition.

Ron Gochez, activist with Union del Barrio, said the coalition is made up of more than 60 groups and independent organizations.Union del Barrio is the leading organization of the coalition, with yhe majority of the leaders volunteers who work in favor of the community in their own off time. 

Gochez said at this point they can’t trust Republicans or Democrats, because they feel both are enemies of the working class. 

“And on International Workers’ Day we denounce the entire system, not just Trump,” he said. 

Gochez said that at this point, undocumented immigrants are very fearful of the changes happening at the federal and local level. That’s why organizations like Union del Barrio have been going above and beyond to patrol the streets, informing people and alerting them through social media of any ICE activity in Southern California. 

“We do that before we go to work, and then afterwards…it's challenging, but we think that's the only way to build a social movement that's truly representative of the working class people,” he said.

While the organizations leading the afternoon demonstration were concerned that enough people would show up for fear of raids during the rally, the response was very positive. Hundreds of protesters closed the streets to march from MacArthur Park to downtown Los Angeles. 

“The reality is that when the media sees that the people organize, [ICE goes] away. We've seen that in many different places,” said Gochez.

Is time for an immigration reform

Juan Jose Gutierrez, immigration activist with Derechos Plenos para Inmigrantes, participated in the protest in the morning with more than 80 organizations and labor unions. He said the marches have taught people that the First Amendment gives them the right to free speech, free press and the right to assembly and petition. 

These protests rallying for a cause aren’t new but they have gained the support of people, primarily of immigrants and workers fighting for their rights. 

In recent years, the protests gained momentum in California after Proposition 187 was approved by voters in November 1994. Prop 187 restricted undocumented immigrants from public education, healthcare and directed teachers and healthcare professionals to report undocumented people to immigration agents. 

The protests eventually led to the courts finding Prop 187 unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, which protects people regardless of citizenship status, and it never took effect.

However, that proposition led to others at the federal level. In 2005 the House passed HR 4437, also known as the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act. The bill, introduced by Representative James Sensenbrenner Jr., required employers to verify the legal status of workers, increase border security and expand the powers of state and local law enforcement to act as immigration officers. 

However, it was thanks to massive protests nationwide, including those in March 2006 and on May 1, 2006 that the bill didn’t make it to the Senate.Gutierrez said there are estimates that over a million people participated in the latter protest. 

“This year we have two requests in our marches: stop arrests and legalization, not deportation,” said Gutierrez. 

Cecily Myart-Cruz, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA) president, said as workers and union members, UTLA members cannot ignore the ways immigration and public education are intertwined. UTLA was part of both marches, movements in the morning and the afternoon protests. 

“Here in California, immigrant families are the backbone of our communities — yet they have long been cheated out of the basic protections and opportunities every family deserves,” she said. “It is up to all of us to stand up against fascism and the injustices inflicted against our immigrant siblings, sisters and brothers.”

Myart-Cruz said people’s power is stronger when they work together to demand policies that protect and uplift immigrant communities. 

“They want us to be afraid. They want to divide us so that we are weaker. But we won’t back down to fear and hate. As workers, as educators, as Los Angeles, we will stand together,” she said.