Los Angeles, CA – Boyle Heights residents and local groups are organizing a march and rally this May 1. Marchers will assemble at Soto and 1st Streets at 4:00 p.m. and march to Mariachi Plaza at 1st and Boyle Streets.
Milwaukee, WI – More than 50 students, faculty and community members held a rally at Marquette University, March 30, to call on the administration to establish a scholarship fund exclusively for undocumented students.
Salt Lake City, UT – The detainment of Nicoll Hernández-Polanco is sparking protests across the country with Utah joining the fight. Nicoll Hernández-Polanco is a Guatemalan transwoman seeking asylum. However, she is currently being held in the Florence Service Processing Detention in Arizona. Hernandez-Polanco remains incarcerated in the men’s side of the detention center where she faces sexual harassment and assault.
St. Petersburg, FL – Over 3000 farmworkers and supporters from around the country gathered at Bartlett Park, March 21, then marched to demand workers’ rights. Some chants heard during the march were, “Up, up with the fair food nation! Down, down, with the exploitation!”, “One, we are the people! Two, a little bit louder! Three, we want justice for farmworkers!” and “J-U-S, J-U-S-T-I-C-E is what we want, is justice for Immokalee!”
Houston, TX – Republicans in the Texas State Legislature introduced a new set of senate bills, SB 3 and SB 185, demonizing the immigrant community and racially profiling Chicanos, Mexicanos and others. SB 185 is strikingly similar to the racist SB 1070 in Arizona.
Saint Paul, MN – Around 500 people, mostly Latino immigrants, along with many supporters, filled the Minnesota State Capitol on March 19 for the first committee hearing of the drivers license bill, SF224/HF97. The hearing room quickly filled to capacity, with a large crowd of people still outside of the room while the Senate Transportation Committee voted to approve the bill. This committee vote is just the first of several steps for immigrants to win the right to a drivers license in Minnesota.
Tampa, FL – A dozen people came together here, Feb. 26, to confront the city council and demand its members support drivers licenses for the undocumented. Alicia Gazga led the rally and chanted, “City council, shame on you!” and “What do we want? Licenses! When do we want them? Now!”
Interview with Fabian Ubay, a leader in the fight to get justice for Zambrano
On Feb. 10, an undocumented farm-worker, Antonio Zambrano-Montes was shot 17 times and killed by Pasco Police in Pasco, Washington. That Zambrano-Montes was supposedly throwing rocks is the excuse Pasco Police are using to justify his the murder. Fight Back! spoke with Fabian Ubay, who organized the first event – a Feb. 14 rally of 5000 – demanding justice for the surviving family of Zambrano-Montes. Ubay is a Chicano who was born, raised, and currently lives in Pasco.
Tampa, FL – Two dozen people gathered at the store La Mexicana, Feb. 23, demanding Texan Federal District Judge Andrew Henan lift his block on Deferred Action.
San José, CA – On Feb. 16, Federal District Judge Andrew Hanen placed an injunction on President Obama’s expansion of the Deferred Action program. While the Obama administration said that it would appeal the injunction, Hanen’s decision stopped the expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which was set to start on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The injunction may even delay the start of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) which was supposed to begin in mid-May.
Tampa, FL – More than 30 people gathered at the First United Church of Tampa, Feb. 14, for Raíces en Tampa's “Stop the Heartbreak” Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) panel. Some audience members traveled from Gainesville, Auburndale, Clearwater and Lutz to Tampa. Oscar Hernandez of Raíces en Tampa provided transportation to two members of the community who, due to Florida's restrictions on the undocumented, did not have a license or vehicle.
Saint Paul, MN – Chanting “What do we want? A license! When do we want it? Now!” more than 60 immigrant rights activists protested at the State Capitol on the opening day of the 2015 legislative session. They demanded that legislators pass a bill this year to give immigrants who live in Minnesota equal rights to get a drivers license like all other Minnesotans.
Tampa, Florida – The holidays are a time for family to come together, especially Mexican families in the U.S. For Oscar Hernandez, a DREAMer and member of Raíces en Tampa, this is the same plan.
Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes formally announced his intention to run for the District 14 seat in Los Angeles City Council at a campaign kickoff event held at his campaign office on Nov. 8. Surrounded by family, friends and supporters, Montes spoke to the need for progressive activism in City Hall to address the many issues facing the people of Los Angeles. Montes’ announcement was met with cheers of “Sí, se puede!” from members of the crowd, which included teachers, labor leaders and students.
Columbus, GA – Over 1000 people attended the annual School of the Americas protest, at Fort Benning the weekend of Nov. 22. Every year thousands meet here to denounce the decades of U.S. military intervention, aid and overall presence in Latin America.
Tucson, AZ – El día de los muertos es una conmemoración anual en donde se les rinde tributo y honor a los familiares queridos que han fallecido. Aquí en Tucson existe ya una larga tradición que busca darle voz, visibilidad y presencia eterna a aquellos valientes seres humanos que han fallecido intentando cruzar el arduo desierto en busca de una mejor vida. Este año se celebró la XIV Peregrinación del Día de los Muertos. En una caminata de 8.5 millas desde la Iglesia St. Johns hasta la histórica Iglesia San Xavier, el digno pueblo de Tucson demostró una vez más el espíritu de amor, unidad, solidaridad y resistencia que posee, y de forma simbólica llena de espiritualidad, le dio voz y cuerpo a aquellos que han muerto en silenciosa soledad.
Minneapolis, MN – 50 students and community members gathered for a vigil Nov. 11 in solidarity with the 43 disappeared – and likely murdered – Mexican student activists in Ayotzinapa. The vigil was in front of Coffman Student Union at the University of Minnesota (UMN). Students held signs with the names and pictures of each of the 43 missing students, along with a banner that read, “Say no to repression!” in several languages.
Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Legalization for All (L4A) Network. Normalista refers students at a “normal school” or teaching college.Solidarity from the North with the Normalista, rural teachers and students