Chicago, IL – The streets of Little Village in Chicago were filled with the sounds of drums and voices, February 8, as a crowd of 1500 people of all ages moved through this historic Mexicano/Chicano neighborhood.

Marchers representing a coalition of 30 organizations came together in response to the call by the Legalization for All Network for national days of action to stop the attacks on immigrants.

Minneapolis, MN – 130 U of MN Twin Cities students and supporters gathered outside of the Student Union in the windy, freezing weather on Thursday, February 6, to demand safety for all immigrant and international students on campus.

Shortly after the university announced they plan to comply with ICE orders on campus, UMN SDS announced an emergency rally and march to call for a “Sanctuary Campus” where undocumented students and faculty are protected from the threat of deportation from federal authorities. This message was echoed throughout the various speeches and on signs in the crowd, including, “School is for education, nor deportation” and “My dreams are bigger than your walls.”

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

Tallahassee, FL – Community members and students gathered in front of the Old Tallahassee Capitol, June 19, to protest the planned mass deportation of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent, from the Dominican Republic.

Tampa, FL – More than 50 people gathered outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Ybor, a Tampa neighborhood, May 1. Uniting on International Workers' Day, community members, workers, immigrants and students demanded not one more deportation. The Department of Homeland Security and the Tampa Police Department showed up in armored vehicles and took to the streets on bicycles in an attempt to intimidate the activists.

Immigrant rights activists protest

Saint Paul, MN – Immigrant rights activists protested outside Senator Franken's campaign office Sept. 11, to send the message, “No more deportations, no more delays, no more excuses.” After demonstrating outside, they marched into the office and presented their demands to three Franken campaign staff members. Several community members spoke passionately to the Franken representatives. They said Franken should make a public statement reversing himself and calling for Obama to take executive action now to stop deportations. The Franken staff members said they would pass what people said on to the senator.

Minneapolis, MN – On Aug. 9 immigrant rights activists organized a vigil in Minneapolis as part of an International Day of Action in solidarity with Central American refugee children. Vigils were held in many cities in the U.S., Mexico and Central America. The vigils demanded protection and legal status, not detention and deportation for the tens of thousands of Central American children crossing the border into the U.S. – fleeing violence and extreme poverty in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. The Obama administration is currently focusing on speeding up deportations of the children rather than treating them as refugees that need legal protective status and family reunification.

Washington D.C. – More than 1000 protesters marched through the streets here, Aug. 2, demanding a stop to deportations of immigrants. Protesters called on President Obama to stop deportations, which have exceeded 2 million under his administration.

San José, CA – On May 27, President Obama told the head of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, to postpone his recommendations for changing deportations policies until after Congress wraps up in August. Under pressure from immigrant rights activists to stop the record number of deportations, more than 2 million, the President had promised a review of deportations back in March.

Tampa, FL – On May 3, protesters demanded “not one more” deportation for the millions of undocumented in the U.S. This was Tampa's second May Day protest against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and Obama's record 2 million deportations. Joining together at Centennial Park in Ybor City, they rallied under a banner that read, “Shut down ICE.” Ybor City is known as a home for immigrants and has been a destination for the migration of different peoples for over 100 years.

Tampa, FL – The U.S. prides itself in having a day to ‘give thanks.’ They call this, ‘Thanksgiving’ and it's supposed to be a time when the family unites and shares a home-cooked meal. This tradition, however, is not always shared by immigrant communities.

Obama: Issue a deferred action for all undocumented now!

In the first four years of the Obama administration, there were as many deportations of undocumented immigrants as in the eight years of Bush. Deportations under Obama are now on track to hit 2 million by the end of this year.

Charlotte, NC – On July 17, the day of Uriel Alberto’s scheduled meeting with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and likely deportation, Alberto received a phone call and was told his order of ‘Stay of Removal’ had been approved.

Charlotte, NC – On July 4, father and head of household Uriel Alberto sat in front of Immigration and Customs Enforcement office here to partake in a hunger strike against his scheduled deportation on July 17. The hunger strike was temporarily suspended for him to join his family and friends in Winston-Salem who demonstrated against his deportation, but will return to Charlotte on July 8 to continue his hunger strike.

Los Angeles, CA – As the U.S. Senate has begun debating the immigration reform bill, on June 20 the Legalization for All Network is organizing a national call-in day to demand that senators make the immigration reform bill better. There are many parts of the bill that increase militarization of the border. Meanwhile, the legalization aspect of the bill would leave too many immigrants out and needs to be expanded.

Minneapolis, MN – On Jan. 12, immigrant rights activists protested outside the Hennepin County jail, demanding that Sheriff Stanek stop using the jail as a deportation machine. More people are deported from the Hennepin County jail than from any other jail in the state.

Tampa, FL – Around midnight Jan. 10, the home of well-known Arizona immigrant rights activist Erika Andiola was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE agents asked Andiola who the other people in the home were. One of them was her mother. During the raid, Erika's brother, who had been staying at neighbors for the night, came over and was asked if he was related to the Andiolas. Both Erika's brother and mother are undocumented immigrants from Mexico and both have lived in the U.S. for many years. Shortly after the questions, ICE handcuffed and transported Erika's brother and mother to the Florence Detention Center.

Tampa, FL – 287(g) is a racist law that was created on Sept. 30, 1996. For 17 years this law has been terrorizing, racially profiling, oppressing and breaking our immigrant families apart. 287(g) gives permission and training to regular police officers to do Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) work whenever ICE is unable to be around. Specifically 287(g) gives permission to local police to ask people in our neighborhoods and on the streets about their immigration status. Since 1996, 287(g) has been responsible for the arrests, abuses and deportations of over 400,000 of our hard-working and exploited immigrants in the U.S.

_Immigrant rights groups plan protest _

Minneapolis, MN – On Feb. 7, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that they imposed the highly controversial “Secure Communities” deportation program on all 87 counties in Minnesota. In response, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAc) announced a protest on Saturday, Feb. 18 at noon. The protest will start at People’s Plaza (300 S 6th Street, Minneapolis) and then march across the street to the Hennepin County Detention Center, one of the jails where this deportation program is now activated. Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek, the controversial figure who is in charge of the Hennepin County jail, pushed hard for Minnesota to participate in Secure Communities.

Los Angeles, CA – Demanding “Stop SCOMM” and “No deportations,” members of the Southern California Immigration Coalition denounced Sheriff L. Baca at his annual prayer breakfast here, Jan 14.