By Manuel Ortiz y Sandra Martínez
LOS ANGELES — Protestors took to the streets of Van Nuys, a suburb of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, on Monday, August 18, to condemn the “persecution” of immigrant communities by President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Among their demands, protestors called for a halt to family separations and mass deportations, and respect for the rights of immigrant communities.
The protest was organized by Valley Defensa, the National Day Laborers Network (NDLON), the Institute of Popular Education of Southern California (IDEPSCA), and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).
As the march moved through the neighborhood, some neighbors leaned out their windows to watch and offer messages of support; others, especially young people, joined the growing contingent, carrying signs that read: “ICE out of Los Angeles,” “Protect day laborers,” “Stop illegal raids,” and, “Your silence does not protect you.”
Saraí (29) and Estéfani (15), two young daughters of Latin American immigrants, took part in the march. “We are here to fight for those who can’t be here, for the families who have been separated,” said Saraí. Estéfani added, “At home, I hear nothing but bad news that someone else has been taken by ICE.”
Caleb Soto, attorney and labor rights director, recalled the recent tragic case in Monrovia, California, where Carlos Montoya, a 52-year-old Guatemalan day laborer, lost his life while trying to escape from an ICE operation.
“This is the second person who has been killed while fleeing some type of federal enforcement action in the last month and a half. The first was Jaime Alanis, a farmworker in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara.”
The attorney noted that in Santa Barbara County, a federal judge ruled “these types of unreasonable raids and searches, which use a person’s skin color, language, or type of work, are illegal,” though they continue to be carried out.
Soto continued, “With open impunity in the face of a federal judge’s decision, the Trump administration continues to carry out these illegal raids, and Carlos Montoya’s death is a result of these types of arbitrary searches and detentions.”
Also participating in the mobilization was Lizette Becerra, a teacher affiliated with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), who advocated for one of her students at Reseda Charter High School, Benjamín Guerrero Cruz, 18, originally from Chile. Cruz was detained by ICE agents on August 8.
“Benjamin was walking his dog on the street when some people came out and took him away. At that point, he was transferred to the detention center in downtown Los Angeles. He was there for about five or six days. He couldn’t shower. He couldn’t brush his teeth.”
“Benjamin is being held at the Adelanto facility in San Bernardino,” said Becerra, who indicated that community members organized a GoFundMe campaign to support her student’s family.
“Our students are afraid,” said Becerra. “They see what’s happening on the streets, that their rights aren’t being protected. They’re afraid, and we have to teach them about that fear. I have to make them feel safe, even if it’s just to be able to come to school.”
She added many parents are now reluctant to bring their kids to school. “I understand … they’re afraid that what happened to Benjamin will happen to their children, too. So we have to take care of them, make them feel safe, and still teach them.”
This story is part of “Aquí Estamos/Here We Stand,” a collaborative reporting project exploring the impacts of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant crackdown on communities across California.
