San Jose marches for immigrant rights, against deportations
San Jose, CA – On Sunday, February 9, the Silicon Valley Immigration Committee along with over 200 community members held a protest and march against President Trump's agenda and the recent escalation of ICE activity in the Eastside of San Jose.
The action – held in Eastside San Jose (ESSJ), which is a community made up of Chicanos and Latinos – was part of the Legalization for All Network's Week of Action.
The protest kicked off with chants aimed at ICE and Trump, followed by a short program of speakers.
Uriel Magadaleno from the Silicon Valley Immigration Committee spoke about the ICE presence in the Eastside, stating, “It’s through the people’s struggle and people’s movement that we will resist Trump and the racist institutions that he will try to use and attack us. We need to start defensive committees in our neighborhoods.”
“We need to protect our immigrant community from ICE,” Magdaleno continued. He further commented on ICE activity in ESSJ, calling for a boycott against the Target store at the intersection of Story and King to “demand that they stop collaborating with ICE, letting them park in their parking lot.”
The Target location has been the focal point of recent marches in ESSJ as it has allowed ICE to conduct operations behind the store and in its parking lot.
Cesar Ruiz from Human Agenda spoke of the importance of the youth getting organized and how he was proud to see “high school students walkout for immigrants’ rights” in past weeks. He also recounted how he was involved in the 2006 May Day Mega Marches. Ruiz went on to emphasize the importance of May Day and the fight for immigrants and workers, saying, “We’re here for the long run, we’re here to struggle, we’re here to win.”
The 2006 May Day Mega Marches, also known as “A day without an immigrant,” were a response to a proposed bill in Congress, HR 4437. The bill, also known as the Border Protection, Anti-terrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, would have made any undocumented person and anyone who helped them a felon.
Veronica Ibanez from Papeles Para Todos spoke about why organizing for immigrant rights, and particularly for the undocumented, is so important, stating, “I have lived here for 25 years, and haven't been able to go back to my home country, my parents have passed away and I couldn’t be there.” Ibanez continued, “That is why I continue to fight for immigrant rights, because we have a right to visit our country of origin and return home.”
Protesters then marched from Mexican Heritage Plaza, a landmark in Eastside San Jose, to the corner of Story and King, a site known for being the starting point of the 2006 May Day Mega Marches. Throughout the march, protesters chanted, “Down down with deportation, up up with immigration” and “San Jose, escucha, estamos en la lucha!”
Once protesters reached the corner of Story and King, the march continued to the Target inside the plaza at the intersection. As protesters marched past they chanted, “Target, escucha, estamos en la lucha!”
After the chants against Target, protesters gathered on the corner of Story and King and continued rallying.
Magadeleno ended the action by telling folks there that it is important now more than ever to get organized and that we must build a united front against Trump!