Jacksonville, FL – On April 4, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) hosted a vigil with approximately 30 people in attendance, at Memorial Park. This vigil is in respect to and mourning for the individuals who have been killed at the hands of ICE, especially those who have been killed within the detention camps that are located throughout the U.S.

This comes after news that this year's detention center deathrates are the highest of the last 20 years. Hand in hand with the Legalization For All Network, JIRA highlighted some of the following deaths in particular: Ruben Ray Martinez, a Chicano who was shot by the Department of Homeland Security; Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Myanmar refugee who suffered abuse and neglect from Border Patrol; Alberto Gutierrez-Reyes, who died of medical neglect while within ICE custody, and Daphy Michel, a Haitian asylum seeker who died of medical complications after being detained by ICE.

“No man should have the power to make the decision of whether you belong based on legal status, let alone a city cop,” said a member of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance. This was said in direct reference to the way these death rates are exacerbated by the establishment of 287(g) agreements, which are legal programs in the U.S. that allow local law enforcement to act in place of ICE. This is something that JIRA says they're fighting to see removed entirely.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #ICE

Jacksonville, FL – Over 100 community members in Jacksonville took to the streets on February 7 to demand ICE out of their city. Protesters filled the streets with chants such as, “ICE out of Jax now!” and “No hate! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!”

This protest comes in the wake of escalations that ICE has enacted on people across the country, as well as news that the Trump administration plans to buy large warehouses to convert into detention facilities like the ones just recently purchased in cities such as San Antonio, Phoenix and Philadelphia.

Speakers condemned the actions ICE has taken against those speaking up for their communities, such as Ya'akub Ira Vijandre, who has been held in ICE detention in Folkston, Georgia since October of 2025 for his pro-Palestine activism.

Speakers echoed words of grief, as they urged the crowd to remember those murdered by ICE, like Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. They also connected their struggles to the struggles that immigrants currently face in this country, reminding us that we are all fighting the same enemy.

Organized by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA), this call to action had local activists from organizations throughout Jacksonville speak in solidarity with JIRA. Organizations who spoke at the rally included the Jacksonville Palestinian Solidarity Network, Jacksonville Community Action Committee, 50501 Veterans, Florida Rising, Democratic Socialists of America, Students for a Democratic Society, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

JIRA organizers ended the rally by urging those in attendance to join an organization if they have not already done so. They also planned more calls to action such as their upcoming event on February 15, which is part of a larger call to action by the Legalization for All network. This event is focused on supporting the VISIBLE act put forth by Florida politicians Angie Nixon and Carlos Guillermo Smith. JIRA also has a general body meeting on February 28 for those interested in joining the organization.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #L4A

Jacksonville, FL – Over 1000 people marched through downtown and packed the courtyard outside the federal courthouse here on January 27, demanding justice for Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

The emergency action, called by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA), came after Pretti’s killing on January 24. Speakers connected his death to the killings of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis and Renee Good, and to local immigration enforcement through the 287(g) agreement between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO).

Organizers urged the crowd to turn anger into organization, explicitly calling on people to join JIRA to build power and fight to end the 287(g) pact.

“The same force that murdered Alex is terrorizing our city through 287(g) traffic stops and raids. We are fighting the same enemy,” said JIRA organizer Maria García.

As temperatures dropped during the event, protesters were undeterred and a participant suggested a new chant to the crowd: “We’re not cold, we’re not afraid! Alex taught us to be brave!” It was quickly taken up by the entire assembly as they marched through the streets of downtown Jacksonville.

“I do have family that is undocumented. Both my parents were undocumented. So growing up, I lived in constant fear,” said local participant Crystal Aguilar. “Seeing so many people come out today in support of families like mine is amazing.”

The rally ended with a clear call to action: Unite all who we can to beat back ICE, end the deportations, and dismantle Trump's racist, reactionary agenda.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerICE #JIRA

Nearly a dozen local organizations and chapters of larger activist organizations sponsored the event, speaking in solidarity with JIRA and their demands. Among them include Freedom Road Socialist Organization, National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, DSA, 50501 NEFL and 50501 Veterans, JCAC, JPSN, SDS, and Black Voters Matter.

JIRA and other speakers honored many who have become victims of political repression, such as Ya'akub Ira Vijandre, Mahmoud Khalil, Leqaa Kordia, and Jeanette Vizguerra; or have been murdered by ICE like Keith Porter Jr, Renee Nicole Good, Silveria Villegas Gonzalez, Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, and Alex Pretti who was killed that very morning.

In the wake of so many harmed by ICE, whose agents have been sighted in greater frequency in Jacksonville during recent weeks, JIRA punctuated the rally by marching throughout the streets of Jacksonville's city, with chants such as “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “ICE out of Jacksonville now!”

When speaking on the importance of the action, a member of JIRA said, “Countless people for their skin color, their accent, their language, their heritage, their culture, are living in fear; scapegoated by this administration for the crime of who they are.”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – 250 community members held a rapid response emergency action January 8 at the federal courthouse to demand justice for Renee Good, a woman who was murdered by ICE Agent Johnathan Ross.

The rally was organized by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) and drew a diverse crowd. Organizers of the event supported the Legalization For All Network’s demands which include, justice for Renee Good, ICE out of our cities and stop the deportations!

“Renee Good’s life was taken by a system designed to terrorize our communities. We are here to say enough is enough and stand together to protect each other and demand Justice for Renee Good,” said JIRA organizer Maria Garcia.

After the rally concluded, hundreds of people took the streets and chanted “Justice for Renee” and “ICE out of our streets!” JIRA has pledged to continue fighting and plans to have additional actions.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #JIRA #ICE #ReneeGood #KillerCops #KillerICE

Jacksonville, FL — On September 23, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) called a protest at Jacksonville's City Hall. They urge people to contact their local city council members to protest Councilman Rory Diamond's proposed amendments to Mayor Donna Deagan's proposed budget.

The amendments were dubbed, by Diamond himself, as “big beautiful budget amendments,” in homage to Donald Trump's “big beautiful bill.”

Diamond’s amendments prevent the budget from funding services for abortion and reproductive health, something that was never included in the budget to begin with. They take away funding for DEI programs, taking away safeguards that prevent discrimination, including against those with disabilities.

Also, the amendments block essential public services from undocumented immigrants and financially punish public services for giving access to undocumented immigrants. This last point was a direct revival of 2025-0138: a measure drafted by Rory Diamond, and vetoed due to the efforts of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance.

The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance organized the rally at the steps of City Hall, and included speakers from the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, 50501's Northeast Florida chapter, and Take Em Down Jax. Over 70 were in attendance for the rally, with more people making their voices heard at the public comment portion of the city council meeting. The chambers were overflowing beyond capacity.

“We keep coming out week after week, and we keep coming out and we're saying, 'we're not gonna have it, we're not gonna take this anymore,'” said Monica Gold of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee.

With many community members speaking against Diamond's budget amendment, the council was overwhelmed. By the time they were able to make a conclusive vote on the budget, it was already about 1 a.m. They voted 10-9 against Diamond's amendments, thus passing the budget without them. Many members of Jacksonville's community stayed – waiting for this victory.

Commenting on the win, Maria Garcia of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance said, “This victory belongs to the people of Jacksonville, especially the hard-working members of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance and the coalition of powerful advocates, activists and other residents. I really hope that was a final message to Mr. Diamond and any council member who wants to put forth these types of discriminatory, harmful policies: That our city is not going to be bullied.”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – On Saturday, September 20, dozens of cars embarked on a caravan led by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) from Jacksonville to Sanderson in Baker County, Florida. It was a show of public resistance and solidarity with immigrants who are already being detained at a new detention center, disgustingly named by Governor Ron Desantis as “Deportation Depot.” Activists call it the “Baker Cruelty Camp,” or BCC.

The announcement of BCC came as a desperate pivot from the previously planned Camp Blanding renovations, with the new location repurposing a shuttered correctional facility into a concentration camp only 15 minutes away from the Lake City Airport.

BCC was originally supposed to hold up to around 1300 immigrants, but is looking to expand with collaboration between the state of Florida and the Department of Homeland Security, whose ICE spokesperson says is looking to expand the facility by “2000 beds.”

JIRA organized the rally and caravan in response to the Legalization for All weekend of action call that demanded a stop to racial profiling after the Supreme Court's decision on September 8 to allow ICE to detain people based off their race, what language they speak, and even where they work. The call to action also happened in the chilling wake of the Chicago murder of Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez at the hands of ICE, and news that immigrants were already being detained at BCC as of early September.

In the rally before the caravan, speakers called attention to the organization beginning to form from people detained in facilities like BCC. “These camps, these atrocities, they are not distant concepts on our screen, they’re a quick field trip away” said a JIRA member, “and we hear that those in these camps are showing signs of organizing and fighting for their rights and for their lives under the worst conditions. So there ain’t nothing stopping us from showing our numbers!”

The caravan departed quickly after the rally to make the drive to Sanderson. Dozens of cars decked out in slogans like “Justice for Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez” and “No Baker Cruelty Camp” rolled by the concentration camp’s site around 40 minutes later.

Drivers honked their horns and many chanted from their windows. Maria Garcia, a founding member of JIRA, called through a megaphone at the head of the caravan, making the group's presence loud and clear to immigrants in the camp: “Se ve, se siente, el pueblo esta presente!”

The action was successful in drawing visibility to organizers' efforts to shut down BCC, as well as hopefully empowering immigrants in the camp to continue their fight. But most importantly, the caravan disrupted business as usual by effectively interfering with traffic on a major interstate outside the concentration camp and occupying the resources of the Baker County Sheriff's Department. The county sheriffs have been in collaboration with ICE since 2009 through an intergovernmental service agreement, before signing a 287(g) agreement in 2019.

Looking ahead, JIRA hopes to up the fight against Jacksonville’s own 287(g) agreement which allows immigrants in Jacksonville to be detained to places like BCC, and to continue showing public resistance against all concentration camps in Florida, while uplifting detained immigrants struggle for freedom.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #Feature

Jacksonville, FL – On August 29, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) held a protest against Governor DeSantis's planned concentration camp within the Baker County Correctional Facility. The protest took place within the center of Jacksonville, at the city's own Friendship Fountain.

After JIRA mobilized over 700 people to Camp Blanding on July 19, Governor Ron DeSantis changed the location of the planned detention camp from Camp Blanding to the Baker County Correctional Facility. The site was previously shut down in 2021, with inhumane conditions being one of the cited reasons.

A JIRA speaker called the project the “Baker Cruelty Camp” rather than the “Deportation Depot” as Ron DeSantis has dubbed it, stating, “Let's be clear: people were tortured in this building. Guillermo Serrabi was held in solitary for 88 days – he was assaulted by a guard who ruptured his eardrum, and he was denied medical care. Ana Doe, a survivor of trafficking, was placed in solitary, stripped, restrained and sexually mocked by guards! This is this facility's legacy. This is what DeSantis is reopening!”

The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance organized the event which drew support from Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Students for a Democratic Society, the UPS Teamsters Union, FloridaRising, 50501 Veterans, the Malaya Movement, and the Democratic Socialists of America.

As dozens of protesters gathered atop the hill at Friendship Fountain, Monica Martinez with JIRA said, “This cruelty doesn't just affect those who end up inside its walls. This puts a target on the back of every immigrant in northeast Florida. Right now, ICE is operating indiscriminately – kidnapping and attempting to deport community members regardless of their status, tearing families apart and terrorizing our communities.”

Martinez then talked about a person recently detained within Duval County: Diana Marcela Mieja, owner of a small business within the Springfield area of Jacksonville.

“This is not abstract!” Martinez said. “She was detained by ICE after a mental health crisis. She is a legal resident, a business owner, a beloved member of our community. This is who they are targeting! This is why we fight!”

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #JIRA #JPSN #JCAC #SDS #FloridaRising #50501 #Teamsters #MalayaMovement

Starke, FL – On July 19, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) called for activists across the state to mobilize to Starke, Florida in order to protest the planned construction of a new concentration camp in Camp Blanding. Over 700 gathered across the street from the gates of the base, along the side of State Road 16.

After the construction of a detention center in the Everglades nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” Governor Ron DeSantis announced plans for the construction of a second one within the military base of Camp Blanding. The site has a history of containing Japanese internment camps during WWII, and the announcement drew much criticism from residents of North Florida.

“Not in our state — not in our name,” has been a slogan chanted since the start of the efforts to oppose the planned construction.

The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance organized the event and drew support from many organizations, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Students for a Democratic Society, Black Voters Matter, FloridaRising, Gainseville’s Indivisible Chapter, 50501 Veterans, the Malaya Movement, the Jax Queer Coalition, Democratic Socialists of America, and the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance.

Support and co-sponsorship came from Jacksonville faith leaders as well, such as the Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Riverside Baptist Church.

“We need to stand here – to fight for those that don’t have the luxury because their families and their children are being snatched from them in the dead of night,” said Reverend Maddie Hilt of the Riverside Baptist Church, who was born and raised close to Camp Blanding.

As hundreds of protesters braved the intense heat, there was a common call for unity and solidarity among the struggles of immigrants in the community with other struggles against the same oppressors.

Xavier Green of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee called out, “They aren’t protecting their borders – they’re protecting a system that has terrorized Black and brown people.”

Recently, Governor Ron DeSantis has slowed down his plans for a new concentration camp to be constructed, however his reasoning has proved inconsistent. He’s gone from citing prudence on choosing which company to contract based on price, to claiming he wishes to use all the space of the detention center in the Everglades first.

“This is not just about Camp Blanding. It’s about all the detention centers that are popping up in Florida; that are being established in our nation. Where we see a bigot president, Donald Trump, and where we see a bigot governor, Ron DeSantis, try to demonize people for simply existing,” stated JIRA organizer and co-founder Monica Martinez.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – Chants of “Drop the charges!” echoed outside the federal courthouse Thursday, June 27, as dozens of protesters stood in solidarity with Alejandro Orellana, a Los Angeles immigrant rights organizer facing politically-motivated federal charges. The powerful demonstration coincided with Orellana's first scheduled court hearing since his June 12 arrest by FBI agents targeting his activism against ICE raids.

“Drop the charges on Alejandro. Stop the FBI witch hunt,” declared one speaker at the rally. “We just wanna be out here fighting for the same things that other people are fighting for.”

The Jacksonville action joined nationwide protests supporting Orellana, a leader with the Chicano community organization Centro CSO who faces up to five years in prison on dubious “conspiracy” charges. His arrest came amid a sweeping FBI crackdown on immigrant rights activists, including last week's aggressive execution of a search warrant on fellow Centro CSO organizer Verita Topete in Los Angeles.

Protesters drew direct connections to Florida's own anti-immigrant climate, where state and local officials have embraced harsh deportation policies. Signs reading “Protesting is not a crime” and “Stop the deportations” filled the courthouse plaza as speakers highlighted how Orellana's case represents a dangerous escalation in criminalizing dissent.

The crowd included a coalition of activist groups, labor organizers, and students who see Orellana's prosecution as a warning shot against all resistance to deportation forces. Many drew parallels to Jacksonville's own struggles against ICE's 287(g) program and recent anti-immigrant ordinances proposed by city council.

“When armed forces come into our restaurants, our court hearings, our streets, our homes, resistance is the only sane response!” said Gonzalo Kleinick, an organizer with the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance.

As Orellana's legal battle continues, Jacksonville's protest served notice that attacks on immigrant defenders will be met with growing resistance. Organizers urged continued pressure on U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli to drop all charges against Orellana and to stop FBI repression of organizers.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #CentroCSO #AlejandroOrellana

Jacksonville, FL – On June 24, Mayor Donna Deegan made the decision to veto the anti-immigrant Ordinance 0138. This decision comes after a months-long campaign by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) that began back in February. Since the ordinance’s inception, local activists, immigrant families, faith leaders and many more provided testimony against this legislation.

The ordinance sought to block any city services or funding from supporting undocumented immigrants including access to necessities such as healthcare, temporary shelters and programs for children, leaving undocumented people with even fewer resources to navigate their lives.

JIRA responded immediately to the bill, organizing a press conference alongside the Jacksonville Community Action Committee on February 25.

Speaking at the February press conference, Maria Garcia, a founding member of JIRA stated, “They’re calling it a crackdown on ‘illegal immigration’, but let's call it what it really is, a hateful, fear driven attack on people who are just trying to live their lives!”

The press conference attendees went into City Council chambers afterward to make public comments. “Not only are immigrants a part of your constituency,” a community member, Jamison Collins-Morita, called from the podium, “they are an integral part of our city and culture.” The sentiment was shared throughout the length of the public comment section of the meeting.

Due to its fundamental flaws and public unpopularity, 0138 was sent back to committees for review on March 11, where it remained locked up for three months. The ordinance only made it out of committees on June 2, after a rush job to get it back onto the city council’s agenda. The vote to put the bill back on the agenda came with very little public comment, with most meetings to discuss the bill happening in the middle of constituents' workdays.

Community outrage ensued. An email blast went out, flooding council members' emails with pleas to vote no. JIRA began mobilizing people for the city council meeting on June 10, the date 0138 was set to be voted on. In an effort to once again silence the voices of working-class people, the city council moved the time for public comments by an hour.

Despite this, the mobilization culminated in hours of testimony from the people of Jacksonville about the harm this ordinance would cause, while denouncing the city council – especially the bill’s architect, Rory Diamond. Many pointed to the deprioritization of their voices when it came to specific issues, a people's budget, no morgue in the Brentwood neighborhood, a ceasefire resolution, and more.

“This is political theatre parading as policy,” one speaker condemned “this is a hateful, illegal stunt that will get people killed.”

Outside the chambers, people rallied for hours through public comment and through the bills hearing. The chants echoed inside the chambers, as around two dozen protesters shouted “City Council shame, shame, all these crimes in your name!”

The entire event lasted over six hours, as the city council debated and added multiple amendments. “This is just us trying to make a bad, ugly bill...better,” Councilwoman Tyrona Clark-Murray admitted. The bill passed 11-7 despite the community's testament, with many council members themselves arguing its faults, and four amendments in an attempt to make the bill acceptable by excluding any people they deemed an “exception” such as children and pregnant women.

In the aftermath, those who waited for hours for this disappointing decision still rallied. The community waited another two weeks for the mayor to make her decision.

In a statement posted the same day, JIRA celebrated the victory, calling it a win for every Jacksonville resident who believes in justice over division. JIRA declared this veto proves their power but that it is only the beginning of their fight. They call on Mayor Deegan to take the next step by using her authority to stop ICE raids and deportations in the city, and asked people to join them for a press conference on Friday, June 27 for the National Day of Action to demand the charges be dropped on Alejandro Orellana.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – On June 14, an estimated 4000 protesters transformed downtown Jacksonville into a sea of resistance against the Trump administration's escalating attacks on immigrants, free speech and essential government services. The “No Kings Day” demonstration marked one of Northeast Florida's largest mobilizations in recent memory, with participants decrying Trump's policies at the federal level and local Trump style anti-immigrant measures being passed at the city council level.

“This country is under attack from top to bottom,” said JIRA organizer Maria Garcia. “Whether it's Trump's economic policies hurting working families, his racist rhetoric demonizing immigrants, the ICE raids terrorizing our communities, or activists being targeted – nobody is safe from this administration's attacks.”

The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance anchored the protest, and their “Stop the deportations” banner led the waves of demonstrators through the city center. Chants of “We want justice – you say how? Stop the deportations now!” reverberated off buildings as the diverse crowd, including labor groups, faith leaders, and allied organizations like the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network and the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, demonstrated growing opposition to the administration's agenda.

The unprecedented turnout sent a clear message about Northeast Florida's resistance to policies that have seen activists targeted, families separated, and communities living under constant threat of raids. With Jacksonville's immigrant population facing dual assaults from federal crackdowns and local legislation, organizers emphasized that attacks on any vulnerable group represent an attack on all working people.

As the march concluded, the energy shifted toward next steps – including pressuring Mayor Donna Deegan to veto Ordinance 2025-0138 and building broader opposition to the Trump administration's policies. The demonstration's size and discipline showed Jacksonville's capacity for organized resistance, with participants vowing to transform Saturday's show of force into sustained political action.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #NoKings #JCAC #JPSN #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – Over 100 people gathered in downtown Jacksonville on Monday, June 9, to stand in solidarity with Los Angeles, California and to stand up for immigrant rights. The rally was organized by 50501, Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance and other coalition partners.

“We want an end to the ICE raids, demand David Huerta be freed and stand in solidarity with LA,” said a local Teamster.

Rally attendees chanted, “When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

“We know the same police that collude with ICE are the same police that kill black people around this country. Therefore, it is our duty to stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters and demand an end to the raids!” said Michael Sampson, a board member of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA #ICE

Jacksonville FL – On May 28, over 200 community members rallied at Duval County Jail to demand the release of three community members who had been arrested and brutalized while attending a city council public comment meeting the afternoon before.

Many organizers for the rally had been protesting and doing bail support through the night without sleep, including Leah Grady of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), who had been released on bail at 3:30 a.m. that morning and immediately took up work to organize a rally for her comrades to be released.

When asked about the rally, Grady said, “It was very heartwarming to see the Jacksonville community come together for all charges to be dropped against us and for the remaining two people to be released. At an emergency action organized in less than 24 hours, we were able to pull together many different local organizations together, rain or shine, in a truly remarkable act of solidarity. I'm eternally grateful for the Jacksonville community, for the work that the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network has been doing to forge these relationships and mobilize against political repression and against the genocide of the Palestinian people.”

With a rally called by Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network (JPSN), multiple groups including Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC), Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA), the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (NAARPR), Take ‘Em Down Jacksonville (TEDJ), FRSO, and others spoke to the crowd about the need to strengthen their movement and build an action-oriented unity to defeat the rising political repression.

“JSO wants to beat us into submission, they want to make an example out of us, they want to intimidate us, but are we scared?” shouted Monique Sampson of FRSO at the rally. The crowd replied with a booming “No!” “We're not scared of detention, we're not scared of arrest, we're not even scared of death, because all of those things, every single last one of those things is a small price to pay for freedom in our lifetimes!” she continued, to cheers and applause.

At the end of the rally, with the community invigorated, the group marched to the release center of the jail and continued to chant slogans to demand the release of the organizers for over five hours until their demands were met. Community members remained standing and shouting even through two separate rainstorms. At 8 p.m., one of the two remaining organizers was released, and finally at 10 p.m., Conor Cauley, a leading organizer in JPSN and FRSO general member, was released.

“What struck me most about the attack was that when I made eye contact with the cop, we both knew what was about to happen and that it wasn't about resisting arrest,” said Conor after being released. “I'm very grateful for the local community I have here, their efforts probably saved my life, and their solidarity provides a life worth living.”

JPSN intends to build a campaign around demanding the charges be dropped, including two felony charges being faced by Cauley, and for Maykel Aliaga-Ruiz, the officer who brutalized Cauley, to be fired.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #AntiWarMovement #InJusticeSystem #JCAC #JIRA #NAARPR #JPSN

Jacksonville, FL – Cientos de personas se presentaron en el rincón de Southside y Beach Boulevards, un centro vital de la comunidad inmigrante de Jacksonville, sábado, el 26 de abril, respondiendo la llamada a acción de la Alianza de Derechos de Inmigrantes de Jacksonville (JIRA) y una coalición de organizaciones religiosas y de base.

Estando de pie ante un mar de pancartas pintadas a mano y las multitudes que coreaban, Vanessa Alvarez de JIRA inició la manifestación declarando, “Nuestras comunidades están bajo ataque.”

“Ahora mismo, mientras hablamos, ICE está separando familias,” dijo Alvarez. “Pero nosotros estamos aquí para decir ya basta. Ni una deportación más. Ni una familia más destruida. No más negocio como siempre mientras nuestra gente sufre.”

La manifestación se centró sobre tres exigencias urgentes: un alto inmediato a todas las deportaciones, justicia para Kilmar Abrego Garcia y todos los inmigrantes enfrentados con detención y exilio, y un fin a la colaboración entre la policía local y ICE.

Representantes de grupos como la Iglesia Riverside, el Comité de Acción Comunitaria de Jacksonville, Ascendente Florida, los Estudiantes por una Sociedad Democrática, la Red de Solidaridad de Palestina Jacksonville, y otros se dirigieron a la multitud.

Los voceros expusieron la violencia detrás de los titulares, explicando que las deportaciones no son procesos burocráticos, son actos de terror estatal. Cada día, agentes de ICE sacan violentamente a la gente de sus casas, sitios de trabajo y escuelas, comúnmente basados en pretextos endebles o del perfil racial.

Bajo la administración actual del presidente Donald Trump, las redadas han aumentado dramáticamente, deteniendo a solicitantes de asilo, estudiantes, veteranos y hasta ciudadanos estadounidenses como Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez de 20 años, encarcelado erróneamente en Tallahassee a pesar de presentar su certificado de nacimiento en el corte.

Hablando de Lopez-Gomez, Monica Martinez, otra organizadora con JIRA, declaró, “Solo por su nombre, solo por su apariencia, solo por el simple hecho de vivir.”

Una figura central destacada durante la manifestación fue Kilmar Abrego Garcia, un joven deportado a la prisión de mala fama CECOT de El Salvador a resultado de las falsas acusaciones de “afiliación a pandillas” por ICE, un cargo falsificado rutinariamente utilizado como arma legal contra los inmigrantes negros y morenos.

La historia de Abrego-Garcia, con todas las de otros inmigrantes criminalizados y activistas como Mahmoud Khalil, sirven como recuerdo escalofriante de que el sistema de inmigración de los E.E.U.U. no funciona para proteger a nadie, sino para desaparecer a los que los considera desechables.

La manifestación reveló cómo los esfuerzos legales de Jacksonville alimentan la red de deportación tras los acuerdos 287(g) – programas que usan la policía local para ejecutar las leyes federales de inmigración. De las calles de la ciudad a los campos de universidad como la Universidad de Florida del Norte, los policías ahora usan infracciones como las luces traseras rotas o infracciones de estacionamiento para dirigir a los inmigrantes hacia la detención. Activistas criticaron la Oficina de Sheriff de Jacksonville por su presupuesto de $630 millones y denunciaron el pasar de Ordenanza 2025-0174 por el consejo municipal, la cual es una ley draconiana que criminaliza la existencia de las personas no documentadas con la imposición de una sentencia de 60 días en la cárcel para “extranjeros no autorizados” y manda que la policía colabore con ICE midiendo escaneadores de huellas digitales móviles.

La ordenanza, urgida por consejero Kevin Carrico y apoyada por la Oficina de Sheriff de Jacksonville, efectivamente empodera a los policias locales como agentes de inmigración, incentivando el perfil racial mientras desviando dinero de los pagadores de impuestos para suministrar herramientas de vigilancia ya usadas para perseguir las comunidades negras y morenas.

“Esto es porque es esencial que nos presentemos juntos. Cada atrocidad, y acto de opresión y tiranía, es una prueba para ver cuánto pueden apretar su puño sin retaliación,” dijo Gonzalo Kleinick de JIRA. “Juntos tenemos que estar de pie. Tenemos que apoyarnos el uno al otro.”

Mientras concluía la manifestación, la energía se mantuvo feroz y determinada. Los voceros instaron a la multitud a que sigan organizando, sigan resistiendo y sigan luchando por una ciudad donde los inmigrantes no sean perseguidos, sino celebrados.

JIRA y sus aliados les hicieron la llamada a todos de movilizar otra vez para el Dia Internacional de los Obreros – el 1 de mayo, a las 6:30 p.m., en el Corte del Condado Duval – para continuar la lucha contra las deportaciones y por la justicia para los inmigrantes.

“Quieren que tengamos miedo,” Álvarez dijo, para concluir. “Pero no tenemos miedo. Quieren que estemos callados. Pero somos ruidosos. Quieren que nos rindamos. Pero somos imparables.”

“El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” gritó la multitud.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #DerechosDeInmigrantes #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – Hundreds rallied at the intersection of Southside and Beach Boulevards, a vital hub of Jacksonville’s immigrant community, on Saturday, April 26, heeding the call of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) and a coalition of faith and grassroots organizations.

Standing before a sea of hand-painted signs and chanting crowds, Vanessa Alvarez of JIRA opened the rally by stating, “Our communities are under attack.”

“Right now, as we speak, ICE is tearing families apart,” Alvarez said. “But we are here to say enough. Not one more deportation. Not one more family destroyed. No more business as usual while our people suffer.”

The rally centered around three urgent demands: an immediate halt to all deportations, justice for Kilmar Abrego Garcia and all immigrants facing detention and exile, and an end to local police collaboration with ICE.

Representatives from groups including Riverside Church, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, Florida Rising, Students for a Democratic Society, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network and others addressed the crowd.

Speakers laid bare the violence behind the headlines, saying that deportations are not bureaucratic processes, they are acts of state terror. Every day, ICE agents rip people from their homes, workplaces and schools, often based on flimsy pretexts or racial profiling.

Under President Donald Trump’s current administration, raids have escalated dramatically, sweeping up asylum seekers, students, veterans and even U.S. citizens like 20-year-old Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, wrongfully jailed in Tallahassee, despite presenting his U.S. birth certificate in court.

Speaking about Lopez-Gomez, Monica Martinez, another organizer with JIRA, stated, “Just based on his name, just based on his looks, just based for simply living.”

A central figure lifted up during the rally was Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a young man deported to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison under ICE’s false “gang affiliation” accusations, a fabricated charge routinely weaponized against Black and brown immigrants.

Abrego-Garcia’s story, along with those of other criminalized immigrants and activists like Mahmoud Khalil, served as a chilling reminder that the U.S. immigration system functions not to protect, but to disappear those it deems disposable.

The rally exposed how local law enforcement fuels Jacksonville's deportation pipeline through 287(g) agreements – programs that use local police to enforce federal immigration laws. From city streets to college campuses like the University of North Florida, officers now weaponize minor infractions like broken taillights or parking violations to funnel immigrants into detention.

Activists called out the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) for its $630 million budget and denounced the city council's recent passage of Ordinance 2025-0147, a draconian law that criminalizes undocumented existence by imposing up to 60 days in jail for “unauthorized aliens” and mandates police collaboration with ICE through mobile fingerprint scanners.

The ordinance, pushed by Councilman Kevin Carrico and backed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, effectively deputizes local officers as immigration agents, incentivizing racial profiling while diverting money away from taxpayers to fund surveillance tools already used to target Black and brown communities.

“This is why it is essential for us all to stand together. Every atrocity, and act of oppression and tyranny, is a test to see how tight they can tighten their fist without retaliation,” said Gonzalo Kleinick of JIRA. “We must stand together. We must support one another.”

As the rally closed, the energy remained fierce and determined. Speakers urged the crowd to keep organizing, keep resisting, and keep fighting for a city where immigrants are not hunted, but celebrated.

JIRA and its allies called on everyone to mobilize again for International Workers’ Day – May 1, 6:30 p.m., at the Duval County Courthouse – to continue the fight against deportations and for immigrant justice.

“They want us to be afraid,” Alvarez said, in closing. “But we are not afraid. They want us silent. But we are loud. They want us to give up. But we are unstoppable.”

“The people united will never be defeated,” the crowd chanted.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – On March 25, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) began their week of action in response to the passing of ordinance 2025-0147 by the Jacksonville City Council. This ordinance is designed to support the Trump administration’s terror against immigrants; it allocates the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office $75,000 for more equipment for them to harass people and collaborate with ICE.

Jacksonville has seen JSO use the incentive to stop and harass people, and so the community spoke out endlessly against the proposed ordinance at every city council meeting, in every councilmember’s inbox, and on the streets for multiple rallies and actions.

JIRA watched as the city council ignored the consistent demands of the people – and even acknowledged how unrelenting the people’s opposition to the bill had been.

As soon as the vote was called, JIRA and members of the community erupted from the chambers and held an impromptu rally at the steps of City Hall. JIRA declared they would continue to fight against the measure as it went before Mayor Donna Deegan and called on people to speak at her town hall meeting that week to tell her to veto it. They outlined campaigns that would target and challenge the implementation of the bill, and many new coalition partners declared they would continue to work together to fight attacks on immigrants.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA

Jacksonville, FL – The Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA) was founded to advocate for immigrant rights and fight against the capitalist-backed policies that target and criminalize Jacksonville’s immigrant communities.

Since its inception, JIRA has fought to end collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), halt the use of local jails for ICE detention, and protect undocumented individuals from repression.

In the face of the reactionary agenda championed by figures like President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose rhetoric and policies have emboldened anti-immigrant sentiment nationwide, local legislators feel empowered to introduce similar oppressive policies such as those now being proposed in Jacksonville, making JIRA’s work more critical than ever.

Mariscos El Pacifico protest

JIRA held its first major event on February 9, at Mariscos El Pacifico, a restaurant in the heart of Jacksonville’s immigrant community, in response to and collaboration with locals who held their own rally at Mariscos El Pacifico almost a week before. More than 100 people gathered in a display of working-class unity, waving signs and flags, chanting, and drawing honks of support from passing vehicles. The protest brought together activists, families, students, and labor unionists to demand an end to deportations and the state’s persecution of our immigrant neighbors.

Maria Garcia, a representative of JIRA, delivered a powerful speech, declaring, “Immigrants are our neighbors. They are sewn into the fabric of our city. And we must keep showing up to reject these backwards policies. We have a responsibility to protect our neighbors!” Her words resonated with the crowd, which responded with chants of “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” (“The people united will never be defeated!”) and “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go.”

Monica Martinez, a representative of JIRA, a public school teacher and first-generation Venezuelan immigrant, spoke about the impact these policies have had on students: “Este último mes, ha sido un mes fuerte para mis estudiantes inmigrantes y americanos. Es evidente de que hay mucha preocupación en las escuelas de todas partes. Desde los adultos, a los estudiantes, y también los padres. Hay mucha inseguridad, cuando las escuelas deben de ser un espacio de aprendizaje y seguridad para nuestros niños. Los niños se merecen ir a recibir sus estudios sin miedo de que ICE vaya a detenerlos para deportar a sus familias.”

“Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act”

On February 25, ordinances 2025-0147 and 2025-0138 were introduced by Jacksonville City Councilmen Kevin Carrico and Rory Diamond. These ordinances, collectively referred to as the “Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act,” are a full-on assault of immigrant communities in Jacksonville. They propose criminalizing undocumented immigrants, allocating over $76,000 to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) for 25 mobile fingerprinting devices, and further limiting undocumented individuals’ access to city resources. This legislation echoes the reactionary agenda of Trump and DeSantis, who have long sought to criminalize and dehumanize immigrants while expanding the powers of law enforcement.

While the ruling class claims these ordinances are meant to enhance “community safety,” JIRA and other people’s organizations have exposed them for what they truly are: an escalation of terror against immigrants. The proposed legislation grants JSO unchecked authority to collaborate with ICE, conduct pre-arrest fingerprinting based on “suspicion,” and engage in racial profiling at will. These measures do nothing but deepen distrust between law enforcement and the people, discouraging victims and witnesses from reporting crimes or seeking assistance.

The people fight back: JIRA mobilizes at city hall

JIRA’s efforts to oppose these ordinances culminated in a powerful mobilization at the Jacksonville city council meeting on February 25. Community members packed city hall, delivering denunciations of Council Member Kevin Carrico’s proposed “Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act.”

Speakers also called out the city council for its continued prioritization of funding the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and its billion-dollar jail project, which disproportionately targets and incarcerates oppressed communities. The crowd demanded an end to policies that funnel resources into policing and incarceration while neglecting the needs of working-class residents.

In the face of this grassroots uprising, Council Member Rory Diamond resorted to lies, falsely claiming on local news that the protesters were “paid” participants. This attempt to delegitimize the voices of the people only galvanized JIRA and its allies, who responded with even louder resistance. Diamond’s dismissive rhetoric underscored the disconnect between the city’s leadership and the communities they claim to serve, further exposing the anti-democratic nature of the proposed legislation.

The protest saw participation from a broad coalition of local organizations, including the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, and the Jacksonville Students for a Democratic Society. Parents, children, elders, students, and labor leaders stood shoulder to shoulder, demonstrating the overwhelming opposition to these racist policies.

Ongoing community presence

JIRA will maintain a continuous presence in the community, organizing mass actions against corrupt politicians and law enforcement agencies while fostering unity among the people. Community members can expect rallies, general body meetings, and community events designed to build solidarity and power. JIRA encourages all Jacksonville residents to stand up, fight back, and take part in building a better society – one where all people are treated with dignity, regardless of immigration status.

For more information about JIRA and its ongoing fight for justice, contact unidosjax@gmail.com.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JIRA

The protest, organized by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA), brought together a diverse coalition of activists, families, students and labor unionists to demand an end to deportations and the persecution of immigrant neighbors.

The event highlighted growing concerns over the close collaboration between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, as well as the erosion of sanctuary protections in schools and places of worship. Protesters also voiced their support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and criticized President Donald Trump's executive orders, which have fueled anti-immigrant policies and fear within the community.

The protest was a vibrant display of unity, with attendees waving signs and flags, chanting, and drawing honks of support from passing cars, trucks and buses. Many vehicles displayed small flags representing countries in Central and South America, symbolizing the cultural ties that bind Jacksonville's immigrant community.

Maria Garcia, a representative of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance, delivered a powerful speech, declaring, “Immigrants are our neighbors. They are sown into the fabric of our city. And we must keep showing up to reject these backwards policies. We have a responsibility to protect our neighbors!” Her words resonated with the crowd, which responded with chants of “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” (“The people united will never be defeated!”) and “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go.”

Monica Martinez, also a representative of JIRA, a public school teacher and first generation Venezuelan immigrant, stated, “Este último mes, ha sido un mes fuerte para mis estudiantes inmigrantes y americanos. Es evidente de que hay mucha preocupación en las escuelas de todas partes. Desde los adultos, a los estudiantes, y también los padres. Hay mucha inseguridad, cuando las escuelas deben de ser un espacio de aprendizaje y seguridad para nuestros niños. Los niños se merecen ir a recibir sus estudios sin miedo de que ICE vaya a detenerlos para deportar a sus familias.” Martinez explained the harmful impact that these policies have had on her immigrant students and families.

The protest also saw participation from other local organizations, including the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network, and the University of North Florida's Students for a Democratic Society. The diverse turnout reflected the broad coalition of support for immigrant rights, with working people, parents, children, elders and students standing shoulder to shoulder and demanding an end to the deportations, for legalization for all, the termination of attacks against immigrants, and the protection of DACA.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #JCAC #JPSN #SDS #JIRA