News and Views from the People's Struggle
Minneapolis, MN – 70 pro-immigrant activists and community members gathered May 28 at The Bachelor Farmer restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, demanding drivers licenses for immigrants. The Bachelor Farmer is owned by Eric and Andrew Dayton, sons of current Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.
Saint Paul, MN – More than 70 immigrant rights activists and concerned community members packed the May 24 Metropolitan Council meeting at a protest called by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). The Met Council oversees Metro Transit buses and trains as well as the Transit Police. The protesters held signs that read “Fire the cop,” “No more deportations” and “Metro Transit: Don't be Trump's anti-immigrant shock troops.”
St. Paul, MN – On the evening of May 23, dozens of members of Minnesota immigrant rights groups occupied Governor Mark Dayton’s office in the State Capitol indefinitely to demand that he veto SF 470 – the Public Safety Budget Bill – which was passed by the Republican House and Senate the previous day. The protesters are planning to stay all night or as long as it takes to get the governor to veto the bill.
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Houston, TX – Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 4, a racist anti-immigrant law, amidst massive opposition, on May 7. The law gives law enforcement the ability to ask any person who “looks undocumented” for their identification papers when detained. Specifically, the law is designed to attack sanctuary cities, and is therefore tied to Trump's attacks on immigrants. It is very similar to SB1070, which passed in Arizona in 2010. The law will legalize racial profiling and create an environment of terror in the Chicano/Mexicano communities.
Saint Paul, MN – On May 11 at 8:18 a.m., a video was posted publicly on Facebook which shows a brief clip of plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents terrorizing a local family in St. Paul when, according to witness accounts, their unmarked car swerved in front of a vehicle with four Latino men and stopped and detained them. A man from El Salvador and a man from Honduras were detained. Family members arrived on scene but could not get answers from ICE agents about who they were or why the men were being detained – instead they were shouted at and one of the detained men's wife had a gun pointed at her. Neither man had any criminal conviction.
Tallahassee, FL – On May 1, around 30 workers, students and community members gathered in front of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce to celebrate International Workers Day and to stand in solidarity with immigrants and refugees.
San José, CA – Since Donald Trump became president on Jan. 20, he has carried out two of his three campaign pledges to attack immigrants. He issued an executive order that called for a wall on the Mexican border, and his proposed budget includes a down payment of $2.6 billion to start the construction on the wall. Trump also issued another executive order calling for increased staffing for immigration enforcement and expanding deportations to include all the undocumented, with the final decision to be made by ICE agents. His proposed budget also calls for almost $2 billion to step up deportations and for hiring more ICE and Border Patrol agents. This executive order also threatened sanctions on local governments that did not cooperate with immigration authorities.
Traducción: Edward C. Tolentino
Los Angeles, CA – The beautiful and unified chants of, “Chicano power! Immigrant power! Student power!” and “Que viva la Raza! Que viva Aztlán! Que viva Mexico!” was heard through the streets of the Chicano neighborhood of Boyle Heights, May 1. The spirited May Day march proceeded on Chavez Avenue in the heart of Boyle heights where residents came out to cheer and show support. A short rally was held at the corners of Chicago and First Street at the LAPD Hollenbeck police station to denounce the killings of Jose “Peruzzi” Mendez, Jesse Romero and other youth.
Houston, TX – There were two May Day events in Houston, Texas. Immigrant rights groups demanding an end to deportations and to defend the rights of undocumented workers organized a noontime march and rally. With some union support, the crowd of hundreds marched to Houston City Hall and rallied on the steps.
