Cocoa, FL ‒ On June 14, the Space Coast Immigrant Rights Alliance (SCIRA) held a rally in Cocoa, Florida as part of the Legalization 4 All network’s weekend of action against detention centers.

Dozens of demonstrators demanded “ICE out now” and chanted “Free our people, free them all!” while expressing solidarity with hunger strikers at Delaney Hall and Adelanto. The rally highlighted SCIRA's ongoing campaign to end 287(g) agreements in Brevard County, from municipal police forces to the county sheriff’s department.

Carlos Barreto of Orlando Against Police Crimes joined to emphasize the intersection of immigration enforcement with broader state violence, as the city of Orlando continues to fight against ongoing attempts to open a new ICE facility in Lake Nona. Edmund Anglero, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke on the socialist strategy of using an organized and militant working class to fight for immigrant rights.

Zaki Ahmed spoke for SCIRA, detailing that group’s goals and its strategy as a grassroots organization fighting for immigrant justice, how they deepen their ties to the Space Coast’s immigrant community, and their plans for the future.

The June 14 action marks SCIRA's first entirely self-directed rally after months of attending protests called by other organizations and building ties to the immigrant community through volunteering and barrio-walking in neighborhoods affected by Florida's ongoing deportation operations.

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