News and Views from the People's Struggle
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, September 12, approximately 50 activists, community members and public officials gathered in front of the Santa Ana Immigration Court to demand that the judges reinstate universal remote hearings, which was done during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees held a banner reading “Stop ICE arrests at the court.”
Chicago, IL – On September 9, 3200 people from across Chicago came together to protest the heightened ICE operations in the area in what is dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” This protest was organized by both the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The mobilization showed a powerful resistance against ICE and possible National Guard in Chicago.
North Chicago, IL – Saturday evening, September 13, around 200 protesters gathered in front of the Great Lakes Naval Base to protest the 250 Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents being housed there as part of the Trump administration’s escalation of ICE operations in Chicago. The Milwaukee Fights Back Coalition and the Coalition against Trump-Chicago lead the protest.
Minneapolis, MN – At a press conference September 12 in front of the Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis, several speakers demanded that U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson drop all charges against Isavela López.
Oakland, CA – On September 6, CSO Oakland and outraged community members took to the streets of East Oakland on 73rd and Bancroft Avenues, mobilizing just blocks from where ICE agents staged a brutal raid that tore six people from their home.
On August 12, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) forcibly detained six people in their home in East Oakland on 79th Avenue near Hillside Street. Of the six people detained, one is a minor and another is a disabled person.
Chicago, IL – 150 striking workers at the Mauser Industrial Packaging facility in Little Village were joined on September 8 by activists from the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) to support the months-long strike campaign for a decent contract.
Stronger protections against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are top of the priority list for the striking workers of Teamster Local 705, 90% of whom are Latino immigrant workers. Other key demands include fair wages to keep pace with inflation, consistent hours and breaks on the job, and employer-provided uniforms to protect employees from bringing toxic chemicals home to their families.
Chicago, IL – On September 6, 8000 Chicagoans rallied and marched downtown to demand that no federal troops be deployed in the city.
The demonstration, led by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) in partnership with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), showed broad opposition to the incoming illegal military occupation and made clear that Chicagoans are not afraid to exercise their democratic right to resist.
Washington, D.C. — On Friday, September 5, over 30 activists and community members assembled in Washington, D.C. 's Navy Yard neighborhood for a “mass cop watch” organized by the DC Against Trump Agenda (DCAT) coalition.
This cop watch is just one of many actions that the coalition has organized in weeks since President Trump declared that he would be federalizing DC’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deploying the National Guard to the city.
Denver, CO – On the evening of August 29, over 100 people rallied in front of the Colorado State Capitol building for the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.
Chants like “When Chicanos are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “¡Se ve, se siente! ¡El pueblo esta presente!” could be heard as the crowd marched downtown to the federal immigration court building.
San José, CA – On August 31, CSO San José, the Brown Berets and others held the annual Chicano Moratorium commemoration, a historic event when over 30,000 Chicanos marched in 1970 against the war in Vietnam to demand justice for their communities. This significant moment in Chicano history highlighted the disproportionate deaths of Chicano soldiers abroad, as well as the struggle for equality and self-determination at home.
Austin, TX – On Thursday, September 4, around 70 students gathered outside the UT Tower to protest Trump’s bigoted and reactionary agenda. The protest was organized by Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) as a part of a National Day of Action.
“We’re out here to demand protection for immigrants here at UT and in Texas, and also in acknowledgement that Trump wants to turn the whole country into Texas,” SDS member Daniel Ramirez said, in reference to Trump’s attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion and multicultural programs. “We can’t stand alone in this fight, and we’re proud to kick off this semester standing in solidarity with students all over the country in the fight against Trump.”
Orlando, FL – On Thursday, September 4, around 60 students at the University of Central Florida rallied and marched to demand the reversal of their university’s 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the establishment of a sanctuary campus.
The rally was led by UCF Students For A Democratic Society (SDS), who were joined by the UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and UCF Students For Education in Prison (SFEP), and others.
Tacoma, WA – El 1ro de septiembre, la Alianza Internacional de Migrantes – USA (International Migrant’s Alliance – USA, IMA USA) y La Resistencia organizaron un mitin en solidaridad con los inmigrantes y para cerrar el Centro de Detención del Noroeste (Northwest Detention Center). El mitin Todos por la Defensa Migrante (All Out for Migrant Defense) fue atendido por más de 850 personas.
Muchos de los presentes viajaron desde Portland, Oregon como parte del evento final de la Conferencia Política de 2025 de IMA USA y Tanggol Migrante. Esto incluía una gran caravana de más de 50 carros y dos buses escolares.
Tallahassee, FL – On August 20, community members spoke out at Tallahassee’s city commission meeting to demand that the city back out of the 287(g) program which gives local officers immigration enforcement abilities. As a result, the city commission voted unanimously to review the agreement at the next city commission meeting.
The struggle over the 287(g) program began earlier this year in March when the Tallahassee Police Department signed the agreement with ICE after pressure from Governor Ron Desantis, despite having no legal obligation to do so.
Washington, DC – As the occupation enters its third week, on Wednesday afternoon, September 3, the DC Against Trump Coalition (DCAT) gathered in front of the Wilson Building, home to the mayor’s office and city council, to protest Mayor Muriel Bowser’s latest capitulation to the Trump administration.
Organized in less than 24 hours, DCAT mobilized 50 people to respond to an executive order signed by the mayor that will indefinitely allow local police forces to cooperate with federal law enforcement. This move represents the latest concession to the Trump administration, which ordered the National Guard into the city three weeks ago.
Protesters made their voices heard inside City Hall as they chanted, “We don’t need collaboration, end this racist occupation!” City Hall employees later confirmed that the crowd was heard loudly enough inside the building to disrupt meetings, and that Mayor Bowser was in the building.
“The DC Against Trump Coalition was built to fight back against Trump’s racist occupation of DC,” Merawi Gerima, emcee and member of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stated, “and now we see that also means fighting back against Mayor Bowser who is committed to rolling out the red carpet for him and his cronies.”
“DC police agencies are now hooking up with federal [law enforcement] agencies,” said Paige White, DCAARPR member and a leader of the DC Lawyers Against Trump Coalition, “and these federal agencies don’t actually know anything about policing. They don’t know anything about the Fourth Amendment, they don’t know anything about your Miranda Rights, and they certainly don’t want to protect them.”
Attendees were heard by police and politicians inside and outside the building, chanting, “Racist, coward, crooked, cops, get a fucking real job!” and “Bowser and Trump, sitting in a tree, attacking and terrorizing kids in DC!” before marching across the street to wave signs and chant as cars passed by.
“I get it from both sides. I am Black and an immigrant,” stated a protester who has become a regular figure at DCAT actions with a “Fuck ICE/Gestapo ICE 2025” banner mounted on poles. “I was scared at first, but then I realized I have to fight for my people who cannot. I will not be silent and allow the Trump occupation to do whatever it wants!”
DCAT’s next action is a Mass Cop Watch on Friday, September 5 at Navy Yard Metro at 7 p.m.
#WashingtonDC #DC #BlackLivesMatter #ImmigrantRights #Trump #InJusticeSystem #DCAT #DCAARPR #DCLAT
Tampa, FL – August 31 was the first celebration of Chicano Liberation Day in Tampa history. Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee marked the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium with a showing of the HBO film Walkout, starring Alexa PenaVega and Michael Peña, directed by Chicano actor and East Los Angeles native Edward James Olmos.
The celebration was held at a local bar, La Cantina. The film depicts the events of Spring 1968 East Los Angeles high school walkouts, or Chicano Blowout, where students walked out of five East LA schools to demand better conditions, like allowing Spanish to be spoken and an end to corporal punishment. People who attended the showing learned about both the walkouts and the history of Chicano Liberation Day.
The history of Chicano Liberation Day begins in 1970, when, as moderator Val Beron of TIRC explained, “over 20,000 Chicanos marched in Los Angeles to protest the Vietnam War, specifically the fact that Chicanos made up 29% of casualties despite being 5% of the total U.S. population. Chicanos felt that the true struggle wasn’t in the jungles of Vietnam, but the barrios at home.” This march, called the Chicano Moratorium, demanded an end to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and an end to oppression at home, such as police violence.
As Florida and the nation experience a wave of anti-immigrant and anti-Chicano repression from the reactionary Trump and DeSantis administrations, the film and the Chicano Moratorium also resonate today. However, just as in the film, when the people organize and fight back, they win – as the concentration camp for immigrants in the Everglades was just shut down this past month due to legal efforts of the Miccosukee Tribe and political pressure from the people holding constant protests.
The Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee will be holding a know your rights training in the near future in an effort to further develop a rapid response network to ICE terror in the Bay area. They can be found on Instagram and Facebook at TampaIRC.
#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoMoratorium #Chicanos #OppressedNationalities #TIRC
Portland OR – On August 28, protesters rallied outside the Portland Permitting and Development Department to demand the city revoke the conditional use permit for the Portland Macadam ICE Sub Field Office.
The protest was held by Revoke the ICE Permit PDX, a coalition formed by Portland Contra las Deportaciones. After weeks of meeting with city council members and putting pressure on elected officials at city hall, organizers decided to go to the department directly responsible for managing permits in the city.
According to the conditional use permit granted to the facility in 2011, the facility is required to hold detainees no longer than 12 hours, and no detainees can be held overnight. A recent Fox 12 Oregon News Segment found ICE has violated this clause at least 28 times. In 20 of these cases, the individuals were held for over 24 hours, violating the rule that no detainee can be held overnight. According to this data, 24 of the 28 violations occurred after President Donald Trump returned to office.
This is in line with a pattern around the country, where ICE Field Offices that previously served as a location for mainly administrative work and check ins have increasingly detained immigrants for days on end, with no bedding, showers, sinks, limited food and access to medical care.
Shawnee Miller, a resident of Grays landing, a low-income housing complex directly across from ICE facility, gave personal testimony outside of the permitting office, “Let me be clear, we are not collateral damage. We are actual Portland citizens who are all being affected by these terroristic acts. When you deploy chemical weapons against a peaceful community you are creating a state of terror. When you ignore our calls for help, you are telling us that we are alone and that our safety doesn’t matter.”
This comes the week after residents of Grays landing held a press conference outside of their homes demanding that the city take action against the ICE Facility. Teargas and other chemicals weapons have been used on a regular basis outside of the Macadam Facility. At times ICE agents have even gone as far as shooting at residents trying to record these violations from their balcony.
Revoke the ICE Permit organizer Holly Brown weighed in on the inaction on the part of city officials, “Our elected officials continue to drag their feet and hide behind bureaucratic procedures to justify their inaction, while ICE terrorizes our city. But we will continue to put pressure on the city to do the right thing and shut down the Macadam ICE facility, no excuses.”
Protesters expressed concern about the inaction of city officials given the continual violation of the permit and resolved to continue to put pressure on the government. The next action scheduled for the Revoke the ICE Permit coalition will be at city hall on September 17.
Tacoma, WA – On September 1, the International Migrant’s Alliance – USA (IMA USA) and La Resistencia hosted a rally for solidarity with immigrants and to shut down the Northwest Detention Center. The All Out for Migrant Defense rally was attended by over 850 people.
Many of the attendees traveled from Portland, Oregon as part of the closing event of the 2025 IMA USA and Tanggol Migrante Political Conference. This included a large caravan of over 50 cars and two school buses.
The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma has become the place for many organizations to unite to fight the United States’ immigration policy. Other organizations like International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Seattle, Bayan Washington, and the Oregon Rising Coalition also attended.
Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers and member of the Oregon Rising Coalition spoke on behalf of the importance of building unity between labor unions and community-based organizations, stating, “This alliance has come together to improve the lives of the working class by taking back power and wealth that has been extracted by our communities.”
This call for unity has followed an interstate effort to end the inhumane conditions at the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC). The NWDC is managed by a publicly traded company called the GEO Group that receives money from the U.S. government to imprison people during the immigration process.
La Resistencia has been documenting the conditions at the NWDC for over 11 years and has received reports from detainees that conditions are getting even worse. One of the leaders of La Resistencia reported that detainees were being kept in the detention center long after they should have been released or deported. They also said that one detainee had to survive a seven-day hunger strike to finally get deported.
The rally included further testimony of families of those detained in the NWDC. Three different families were able to speak about the horrible conditions inside of the facility. Each speech had a common theme: end the contract with the detention center and to treat all working people with dignity.
#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #IMA #LaResistencia #PAT #ORC #TanggolMigrante
Denver, CO – On Monday, September 1, over 1000 protesters assembled at the Colorado State Capitol for a Labor Day march. The march was part of nationwide mobilization entitled “Workers over Billionaires!” and was organized by a broad coalition of organizations including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Denver Anti-War Action, Colorado Education Association, and Colorado 50501.
The program began with speeches from several labor organizers on the power of organizing.
“In 2023, we launched the biggest contract campaign in decades,” said Katherine Draken, a rank-and-file UPS Teamster and member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union, “And we won! We were ready to go on strike and UPS knew it. We got rid of the two-tier system, and we got the biggest wage increase ever!”
After the speeches, the 1000-plus crowd took to the streets and marched to the Denver Federal Immigration Court, where ICE has been kidnapping immigrants who show up for court check-ins. Along the march, the crowd chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” and “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” Then, the crowd marched back to the capitol building and heard speeches from more organizers.
The crowd then took the streets for a second march, this time to the mansion of Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Polis, a Democrat, has faced criticism for not standing up against the Trump administration. In one example, he even had Colorado law enforcement agencies collaborate with ICE, in violation of a state law against such collaboration.
“Governor Polis's administration betrayed its commitment to the immigrant community by pressuring officials to unlawfully share private data with ICE. This action undermines state privacy laws and erodes trust in public institutions meant to serve and protect all residents. We can't allow our community to be attacked by those in power, the community must fight back and take back power!” said Brandon Gehrke of Aurora Unidos CSO.
#DenverCO #CO #Labor #ImmigrantRights #Trump #NoKings #LaborDay #DAWC #CEA #50501 #CSO
Los Angeles, CA – On Saturday, August 30, hundreds of Chicano activists and community members gathered in East Los Angeles to commemorate the 55th Chicano Moratorium. Organized by Centro CSO along with a coalition of activist organizations, the day’s march and rally centered the fight for Chicano self-determination, an end to Trump’s ICE attacks, and solidarity with Palestine.
The Chicano Moratorium is known as the Chicano Liberation Day, honoring August 29, 1970 when 30,000 Chicanos marched in East LA to protest the Vietnam War, the high casualty rate of Chicanos in that war, and racist conditions. The rally was attacked by the Los Angeles Police Department and LA Sheriff’s Department whose officers swung batons and teargassed the entire community. Hundreds were arrested and three killed, including Ruben Salazar, a well-known journalist who had become critical of police and immigration abuses. Many believe he was targeted for assassination.
The police attack caused the community to rebel and fight back against the police and many police went down. This historic day is part of the longtime struggle of Chicanos for self-determination. Since the Mexican-American War, Chicanos in the Southwest have faced fierce oppression, but have always resisted. That march and rally brought in a new generation of fighters for Chicano Liberation.
55 years later, the demands of Chicano activists are similar. For this 55th annual Chicano Moratorium, organizers hung a banner on the lead truck of the march. The banner listed the current demands: Self-determination for the Chicano Nation, solidarity with Palestine, ICE out of LA, community control over the police, defend public education, and no to U.S. wars!
The day’s activities started with a rally at the Sound of Music, formerly the Silver Dollar Bar where Salazar was murdered. Carlos Montes, member of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and a long-time veteran of the Chicano Movement, kicked off the rally with a speech about how the struggle of the Vietnamese people against the U.S. military radicalized a generation of Chicanos to oppose U.S. imperialism. Other speakers at the first rally included Beña Martinez, representing About Face: Veterans Against the War, who talked about resisting wars, military recruitment, and the presence of troops in U.S. cities, and Ernesto Ayala, chair of el Partido La Raza Unida, who noted the long history of Chicano resistance.
Derek Mejia, a leader of CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, introduced a block of speakers against police crimes. Stating, “Much like the IDF, LAPD and LASD are instrumental in the United States’ attacks and continued suppression of the right toward self-determination of the oppressed Chicano people of Aztlan.”
Mejia’s speech also focused on how Centro CSO has taken up a campaign to win justice for Jeremy Flores who was killed by LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division in June. Cindy Nuñez, a member of United Families for Justice and the sister of Francisco Nuñez, shared about the fight to expose LASD brutality while Arienne Duncan demanded justice for Jimmy Lopez, who was beaten to death by the Hemet Police Department.
Angelica Reyes, a member of Union del Barrio and a LAUSD teacher, gave a speech about fighting for her students and families against the brutal ICE raids. Liza Peña from La Mesa Brown Berets closed the rally with a speech about how the Brown Berets continue the fight for Chicano power.
After the kickoff rally, over 500 people began marching down the historic Whittier Boulevard with energetic chants like “Chicano power!” “Fuera la Migra!” “Viva, viva Palestina!” and “Aqui estamos y no nos vamos.” The public responded with yells, raising fists and honking horns. 90-plus degree weather did not stop the loud, energetic political chanting, denouncing Trump’s racist attacks.
As the marchers arrived at Salazar Park, they were met with cheers as they joined the crowd. The main rally began with a speech by Sol Marquez of FRSO LA, who said, “We named our nation Aztlan in 1969, and we will continue to organize with the multi-national working class to overthrow Trump!”
Then Art and Terry Navarrete followed by sharing about Centro CSO’s immigration work, which includes barrio walks and the victory of having the charges dropped on Alejandro Orellana. Sabrina Medina talked about getting raided by the ICE and FBI, which included having the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Dr. Phil in her home. “They have been terrorizing my family! Don’t let the FBI and ICE agents harass your family or our neighborhood,” said Medina. Her mother Lisa Medina, a street vendor activist, was arrested and deported.
Dr. Rocio Rivas, LAUSD board member, spoke about the importance of education and defending students and families, stating, “Solo el pueblo salva al pueblo, adelante mi gente!” Longtime UFW/SEIU organizer Eliseo Medina said, “When people stand up and fight, they will always win!”
Sergio Flores, brother of Jeremy Flores, stated, “They get to go home and continue on with their everyday activities, while we get to never see my brother again, love him again, laugh with him again. And that’s not right!” Sergio gave his speech with his mother and sisters standing beside him. Black Lives Matter-LA Grassroots leader Baba Akili gave an energetic speech about uniting Black and Chicano people to fight Trump’s attacks.
United Teachers Los Angeles Vice President Gloria Martinez spoke about the struggle to defend public education. Juan Parrino of Los Rucos talked about the original Chicano Moratorium issues and how we are fighting similar struggles today. Lupe Carrasco Cardona of the Association of Raza Educators talked about promoting and defending ethnic studies and how the association is part of the community defense against ICE raids.
Sammy Carrera, a member of Centro CSO and a Teamster Local 396, stated, “ICE agents are kidnapping and terrorizing the working class while the monopoly capitalists are getting rich off the prison industrial complex.” He also said Chicanos know how to fight back and will do so against ICE attacks.
The 55th Chicano Moratorium reinforced the fight for self-determination for the Chicano nation, solidarity with Palestine and the ongoing fight against ICE attacks. It also stressed the importance of fighting against police killing with the demand of community control of police and the key fights to defend and promote public education against privatization.
Vera Topete, a Centro CSO member and emcee concluded the rally by encouraging people to join Centro CSO.
#LosAngelesCA #CA #ChicanoMoratorium #OppressedNationalities #ImmigrantRights #CSO