Louisiana: Anti-Trump coalition rallies against Border Patrol in Kenner
Kenner, LA — About 60 people gathered at the North Kenner Recreational Center on Saturday, December 27 to demand an end to the city’s collaboration with Border Patrol and continued ICE raids in the region. Just two days after Christmas, the coalition of protesters showed up in solidarity from around the Greater New Orleans region, to stand with the immigrant community of Kenner.
“We stand by our immigrant brothers and sisters,” declared Vonne Crandell of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression to the crowd. “We know that the Kenner Police Department is corrupt because they collaborate with ICE.”
“The 287(g) agreement is criminal,” said Naomi Retherford of the Queer and Trans Community Action Project (QTCAP). Retherford further stated, “The attack on our immigrant siblings is related to the attack on [the LGBTQ] community.” Trump’s slew of reactionary attacks have brought together many from disparate backgrounds to unite together against his agenda.
Cristine Farah, of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, noted that her neighbors fear for their lives every day, and she is determined to continue showing up.
“Every week we have been coming to protests and city council meetings,” Farah reflected to the crowd. The coalition has so far taken part in weekly protests, some in the city and some in Kenner. City council leaders in Jefferson Parish have offered few words of sympathy and even less action. Farah concluded, “This entire system is not responsible to us. It can’t keep us safe and was not designed to. It is rotten and needs to change.”
Before protesters took to the streets, they heard from Kaylin Ramirez, a 21-year-old Latina recent college graduate with a degree in criminology. Ramirez thanked the crowd for their support and stated she was offered a job with Customs and Border Patrol after graduating. Ramirez turned it down when she realized that they were not helping the community.
The growing “No Troops” coalition aims to make conditions more difficult for Border Patrol and to show community opposition to their presence. As the crowd marched down Martinique Avenue, a street that had recently been visited by Greg Bovino, neighbors stood on their balconies to wave in support.
“We are going to be here as long as ICE is here,” promised Crandell. “This is not the end.”