Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Immigrant Rights

By staff

A group of protesters holding banners.

Denver, CO – On the evening of June 27, Aurora Unidos CSO, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC), and rank-and-file Teamsters gathered outside the Byron Rogers Federal Building to demand that charges be dropped on Los Aneles immigrant rights activist Alejandro Orellana.

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By Zhenya Aleksandrovna and Caryn Hart

A large number of protesters marching with flags and a banner.

Chicago, IL – Several hundred people mobilized in downtown Chicago, June 28 to demand the end of all U.S aid to Israel and divestment of Illinois bonds from companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine.

This weekly demonstration was organized by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP). CJP has organized mass demonstrations almost every week for nearly two years since the current Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza began in October 2023.

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By Louise Carhart

A man speaking energetically into several microphones at a press conference.

Chicago, IL – On Friday, June 27, allies of the Los Angeles group Centro CSO gathered at noon in downtown Chicago for a press conference and rally in support of CSO immigrant rights activists Alejandro Orellana and Verita Topete. Orellana and Topete have been targeted by the FBI in the weeks since the Los Angeles protests against ICE raids.

“We’re here to demand that the federal charges against Alejandro Orellana be dropped,” Joe Iosbaker of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, said. “Raids and federal grand juries are attacks on progressive movements, on our freedom to speak, to assemble, and to tell the government that their actions and their policies are wrong.”

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By staff

Six people standing in front of a builiding.

Tampa, FL – On a loud and busy intersection in front of Sam Gibbons Federal Courthouse on Friday morning, June 27, members of three groups – Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee, Tampa Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society – gathered to rally in solidarity with two Los Angeles activists targeted by the FBI for their political beliefs and for standing with their communities. They read statements in in solidarity with Alejandro Orellana and Verita Topete.

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By staff

Protesters marching on a street holding signs and flags.

Minneapolis, MN – On a rainy Monday evening, June 30, hundreds of Minnesotans lined Lake Street with signs and chants to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to give sweeping power to Trump, which could ultimately allow him to end birthright citizenship.

The decision came on Friday June 27. Legal experts say ending birthright citizenship, a right enshrined by the 14th Amendment since 1868, is a direct attack on the Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court sidestepped directly ruling on President Trump’s racist order, for now.

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By staff

Two people holding signs. One reads, "Stop Killing Chicanos Justice for Jesse!"

El Noticiero ¡Lucha y Resiste! está circulando la siguiente declaración del Comité para Parar la Represión del FBI.

El Comité para Parar la Represión del FBI está llamando a organizaciones a través de los EE.UU. a unirse a un día de acción nacional en junio 27 y exigir que los cargos sean retirados de inmediato. Organizaciones, nacionales y locales, están publicando declaraciones en apoyo a Alejandro Orellana y defensores llamarán a la oficina del fiscal federal para expresar esta exigencia.

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By staff

Two protesters hold a banner that says, "Drop the Charges on Alejandro Orellana! Protesting ICE is not a crime!"

Minneapolis, MN – Immigrant rights protesters gathered at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue in Minneapolis June 27. This action was part of a National Day of Action called by the Legalization for All Network and the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

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By staff

A group of protesters hold signs in front of federal courthouse that say, "Justice for Alejandro Orellana!" and "Drop the Charges!"

Jacksonville, FL – Chants of “Drop the charges!” echoed outside the federal courthouse Thursday, June 27, as dozens of protesters stood in solidarity with Alejandro Orellana, a Los Angeles immigrant rights organizer facing politically-motivated federal charges. The powerful demonstration coincided with Orellana's first scheduled court hearing since his June 12 arrest by FBI agents targeting his activism against ICE raids.

“Drop the charges on Alejandro. Stop the FBI witch hunt,” declared one speaker at the rally. “We just wanna be out here fighting for the same things that other people are fighting for.”

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By staff

A group of protesters in front of city hall.

Jacksonville, FL – On June 24, Mayor Donna Deegan made the decision to veto the anti-immigrant Ordinance 0138. This decision comes after a months-long campaign by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) that began back in February. Since the ordinance’s inception, local activists, immigrant families, faith leaders and many more provided testimony against this legislation.

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By staff

LA protests the FBI repression directed at  anti-ICE activists.

Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, June 27, community members gathered at Salazar Park at 4 p.m. for a press conference and rally demanding the charges be dropped against Alejandro Orellana and calling for justice for Verita Topete. Both are immigrant rights activists who were raided by the FBI within the last two weeks.

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By staff

A crowd marches with banners

San José, CA – On June 15, San José residents came out to protests to what they say are attacks to First Amendment rights and political repression in Los Angeles. In the last couple of weeks, National Guard troops have been mobilized to assist ICE operations in Los Angeles with response from residents taking to the streets to protest.

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By staff

Protesters holding signs.

Santa Ana, CA – On June 27, activists and community members waved signs on the corner of Flower Street and Civic Center Drive near the Central Justice Center chanting, “Drop the charges now!” and holding signs reading, “Protesting is not a crime!”

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By staff

A woman speaking into a bullhorn.

Los Angeles, CA – On Thursday, June 26, Verita Topete, an immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO, was ambushed by the FBI while walking her dog at a park. Federal agents aggressively approached her to serve a warrant and force her to give them her phone.

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By staff

Fight Back New Service is circulating the following statement from the Legalization for All (L4A) Network.

The Legalization for All (L4A) Network is calling on all affiliated immigrant rights organizations and supporters to mobilize an action in support of Alejandro Orellana on June 27th, or participate in a national call-in day against U.S. Attorney Bilal “Bill” Essayli.

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By staff

Los Angeles, CA – El viernes, 13 de junio, Alejandro Orellana, un activista de derechos inmigrantes quien fue arrestado por la FBI, fue liberado de custodia federal.

La mañana anterior la FBI, con el apoyo de la guardia nacional y el departamento de sherifes de Los Ángeles, invadieron el hogar de Orellana en el Este de Los Ángeles y arrestaron a Alejandro, un por vida miembro de Centro CSO, con cargos de “conspiración de cometer desorden criminal.”

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By staff

Two men holding protest signs.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

On the morning of June 12, the FBI, accompanied by the National Guard and LA sheriffs, raided the home of Alejandro Orellana for his protesting of ICE raids in Los Angeles. He was arrested, taken into federal custody, then released the next day – after much public pressure and many phone calls to the U.S. Attorney.

Now he faces two bogus federal charges: one for conspiracy to commit civil disorder and another for aiding and abetting civil disorder. He is facing serious prison time.

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By Anthony Franklin

St. Rose, LA – On June 17, over 20 activists and community members showed up to monitor a building in Saint Rose, Louisiana where ICE called in a large number of people for immigration check-ins. The action was called with a hope to video and deter the ICE kidnappings.

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By Christopher Sharpe and Justin Jordan

Tallahassee, FL- Students in Tallahassee marched to the Florida State University police headquarters on May 20 in a rally organized by Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society to demand that Florida State University end its negotiations to enter into the 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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By staff

Protest against ICE in New York City.

New York, NY – On Thursday June 19, close to 50 New Yorkers assembled to honor the radical legacy of Juneteenth by protesting ICE presence in their city and state. The protest was organized by Equality for Flatbush, a Brooklyn-based organization which focuses on issues facing oppressed people in the Flatbush community.

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By staff

A person holding a bag that says Legalization for all

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

The Committee to Stop FBI Repression is calling on organizations across the U.S. to join a national day of action on June 27 and demand that the charges be dropped at once. Organizations, national and local, are releasing statements of support for Alejandro Orellana and supporters will call into the U.S. attorney’s office to voice this demand.

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