On February 12, hundreds of residents in the San Fernando Valley gathered on the intersection of Van Nuys and Victory to rally against the recent ICE raids and deportations in Southern California and around the country. Chants of “Not one more! Ni una mas!” echoed through the entire block as supportive honks were heard from drivers passing by.
Just two days prior to the rally, an ICE raid had taken place less than half a mile away. One hundred and sixty people had been detained in five days of raids in
Southern California, with over 700 detained nationwide. Though ICE claims these raids are routine, they are in reality part of the Trump administration’s escalated war on immigrants and the pledge to deport as many as 3 million in total.
Organizers from La Raza Unida, SFV United Coalition and CHIRLA called for unity amongst all communities in support of the 11 million immigrants around the country facing possible deportation. “We are calling for the immediate shut down of ICE and the detention of Trump! We cannot continue separating families! Nobody is disposable and we need to fight back!” said Ronnie Veliz of SFV United. The crowd erupted with chants such as “Sin papeles, sin miedo,” (“Without documentation, without fear”) and “Razi si, migra no!” (“People yes, immigration police no!”)
The Trump administration is not the first to strike down on immigrants with ICE raids. During Obama’s presidency, over 2.5 million were deported—the most under any U.S. president. “These raids are nothing new. Our communities have been terrorized for years. In the end, it’s not the administration that’s the issue. It’s the system itself,” stated Robert, a member of SFV United and the American Indian Movement.
Many community members who partook in the rally were not fluent in English, but they knew why they were there. Diego Capa, a Latino member of CHIRLA who has been living here for 28 years, has been witness to continued attacks against immigrant communities throughout the decades. He said in Spanish, “I am here for justice. We cannot continue to allow our communities to be terrorized and separated. We cannot be scared anymore. The only way we can win is if we fight back.”
