San José, CA – “No ban! No wall! Legalization for all!” was heard at San José City Hall as about 20 people showed up on Saturday, August 27, to protest the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court repealing DACA, which would affect nearly a million undocumented immigrants and their families in the United States.

The protest coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium and came in response to a call from the Legalization for All (L4A) Network. The connection between the struggles of undocumented immigrants, especially from Mexico and other Latin American nations, and the Chicano nation, or Aztlan, and their self-determination was highlighted. The L4A Network brings together activists and organizations fighting for legalization and full equality for undocumented immigrants in the U.S.

A member of the L4A Network stated that “Legalization for All is fighting for national change, like the American Dream and Promise Act, which if passed, will permanently legalize people with DACA, as well as immigrants with Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure. We will also continue advocating for legislation to cover the other millions of individuals.”

The speaker went on to urge action, stating “The Legalization for All Network stands with DACA recipients and the immigrant community at large. We demand the Supreme Court protect DACA. We demand legalization for all. We demand full equality for all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. If you or your organization agree, I invite you to join the network. We will continue the momentum of immigrant rights movements, past and present because when the masses unite and fight back, we will win.”

Isaiah Jimenez also spoke, representing the Communist Party USA, and advocated for DACA to be codified. He also spoke of his personal connection to the issue, “My dad is literally a politician in this building. He came here as an undocumented immigrant. He didn’t become a citizen until 2008, when he was 32 years old. And realizing that he could’ve been deported at any time is just one of the many reasons why I, and anyone with a conscience and a brain, and a heart, will stand for immigrants and stand for DREAMers, and stand to see DACA become codified into law. And we won’t stop until that is accomplished.”

A member of Silicon Valley Unemployed Committee stated that he didn’t seem hopeful of the Supreme Court ruling on DACA and how it would affect many people’s futures. “First of all, if DACA is repealed, there will be mass unemployment within the undocumented community.” He connected that issue to Silicon Valley Unemployed Committee’s current campaign to win access to unemployment benefits for undocumented immigrants in California by having the California Legislature pass AB-2847. This bill would establish an Excluded Workers Pilot Program to provide weekly monetary assistance to unemployed workers who are not eligible for state or federal unemployment insurance benefits due to their immigration status. Silicon Valley Unemployed Committee was formed in early 2021 to fight for expanded unemployment benefits for unemployed people at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mike Paradela of Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke about how the Supreme Court, and both the Democrat and Republican parties have failed to protect working people. Paradela stated, “Like Roe v. Wade, the Democrats could have codified DACA, but they did not. The Democrats are always conveniently one or two votes shy from a majority, supposedly, to pass any progressive policy. Yet, they always have a majority when it comes to increasing our policing, or our already over-inflated military budget. Their priorities are clear: death and destruction abroad, and nothing at home.”

Paradela also called for self-determination for Aztlan, or the Chicano nation, stating, “Chicanos and Latinos are the majority here, they should be the ones to determine the destiny of this land, not the U.S. imperialists. It will be the Chicano community and the Latino community that rescues the children from this heartless system. It will be the Chicano and Latino community that will save DACA. It will be the Chicano community that frees Aztlan.”

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