Farmworkers demand end to ICE raids
Farmworkers demand end to ICE raids
Farmworkers gathered at Placita Olvera to announce a national labor strike, while demanding a path to citizenship and an end to ICE raids.
LOS ANGELES - Farmworkers gathered at Placita Olvera to announce a national labor strike, while demanding a path to citizenship and an end to ICE raids.
This national strike is not organized by the well-known Farmworkers Union, UFW, but a smaller coalition led by Flor Martinez Zaragoza, who has a popular Instagram account, @flowersinspanish. A large part of her digital advocacy focuses on farmworkers.
Under #Huelgaparaladignidad, the coalition is calling for a national labor pause across the nation July 16-18, not only for farmworkers but inviting supporters in other jobs to join them. Their demands include a path to citizenship and the stop of immigration raids.
A federal judge in LA halted the raids Friday, saying agents cannot indiscriminately arrest people without reasonable suspicion they are in the country illegally. The Trump administration has filed an appeal, with a hearing scheduled for the end of this week.
Have the raids continued in Southern California?
"It seemed to be quiet this weekend," said Ron Gochez, with the immigrants rights group Union de Barrio. He did share photos of a couple of incidents today that they are looking into. One in Montebello, where agents pulled a person out of a car in front of Kalaveras restaurant.
Over the phone, the eatery’s manager said the agents had a warrant for the employee’s arrest but did not enter the restaurant. Photos from El Monte show other officers around a white vehicle on Santa Anita Avenue. No word yet on why that person was taken.
"They are targeting us," says one of the farmworkers announcing the strike at Placita Olvera, because of our "skin color." "We were called essential during COVID," says another farmworker, "but now we are criminals?"
If you want to find out more about the strike, look for the hashtags #huelgaparaladignidad or #FarmworkersStrike.