Fight Back! News Service is circulating the following statement by the Twin Cities district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization

Today, Homeland Security Investigations raided the Washington, DC home of Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The Trump administration claims this raid was to investigate “immigration fraud,” but it’s clear as day that this is nothing more than a racist, political attack by Trump against one of his most vocal critics in Congress. Rep. Omar has taken a stand against Trump’s mass deportation machine and his racist anti-immigrant agenda, and the White House wants to punish her for that. Last week, Trump also posted a racist tirade on his social media accounts, calling on Minnesotans to “fight back” against the state being “taken over by Somali immigrants,” and threatening to send in federal forces.

Let’s be clear: the people of Minnesota, who rose up by the hundreds of thousands this winter against ICE terror and the murders of innocent people, know who our real enemies are and how to fight back. The lines have been drawn, and we’re not going to let Trump spin lies to target the Somali community. It’s time to mobilize, hit the streets, and unite all who can be united to resist the Trump administration’s campaigns of anti-immigrant terror and political repression.

Hands off Ilhan Omar! Stand with Somali immigrants!

#MinneapolisMN #MN #IlhanOmar #UnitedStates #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #Somali

Atlanta, GA – Since 2024, Charles Brown has been bounced around the Georgia state incarceration system, from facility to facility. He has spent the last two years trying to figure out why he’s sitting behind bars and trying to obtain the documentation that can help him get out.

To better understand Charles Brown’s struggle, you’ll have to start in Crisp County, Georgia in 2014. Charles Brown was one of 300 plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed against the state of Georgia by the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR).

The SCHR argued that, from 2012 to 2014, low-income adults and juveniles were denied legal representation, appeared without lawyers at trial and were pressured into guilty plea deals. The core argument was that these individuals had their Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment rights violated. The result was “assembly line justice,” where 300 individuals were pressured to take guilty plea deals and wrongful convictions.

After some time being incarcerated and experiencing mental health battles, Charles Brown was put on parole. During his time on parole, Charles Brown routinely dealt with faulty ankle monitoring equipment. The equipment would malfunction, leading to routine check-ins by his parole officer. “I just wanted to be given a fair chance to prove that I wouldn’t violate my parole,” Brown said, describing the situation.

He told his PO about the faulty equipment, but his PO would not listen nor care. Left without much option, he reported his parole officer to the Board of Paroles and Pardons on multiple occasions. Rather than investigate the multiple reports of faulty equipment, his parole officer told him, “If you don’t bother me, I won’t bother you,” and went radio silent on him for a year.

A year went by and Brown had no contact with his parole officer with no check-ins or updates on the status, conditions or circumstances of his parole term. Then, in an act of retaliation, 72 hours before his parole officer transferred, he put out an arrest warrant for Brown.

In November 2024, Charles Brown was then arrested during a routine traffic stop. He’s since then been moved between different facilities throughout the state facing inhumane conditions.

For him, the question remains the same: “What legal instrument is being used to keep me locked up?”

No one from the state has given him a clear answer. He and his family have filed multiple open records requests in the hopes of proving his wrongful incarceration, and the state has refused to release the documents every single time. These records will clarify if there is a present legal instrument that is keeping Charles Brown incarcerated, and may be the key to his freedom.

Charles is currently seeking legal counsel so he can get this information to the right people in power in order to secure his release.

Before he was arrested, Brown was deeply involved in the community and was known for organizing with GSU students around Palestine, Haiti, and the movement for justice for Sonya Massey.

When asked about his demands, Brown stated, “Immediate release, accountability, transparency.”

#AtlantaGA #GA #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican

New York, NY – On October 9, students gathered at Garibaldi Plaza in Washington Square Park for a rally organized by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at NYU, to launch a new campaign by SDS demanding the NYU administration do more to better the Black student experience at NYU.

The rally was endorsed by the NYU Black Student Union, NYU Brown Sugar Brilliance and Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at NYU.

The campaign, with the slogan “Education is a right, not just for the rich and white! Increase Black enrollment now!” was launched publicly on October 2 and has garnered over 125 signatures. The campaign demands are: Increase Black enrollment at NYU to 20% within the next five years to match the demographics of NYC; publicly release enrollment and admissions racial data so that students can keep track of progress; create a Black space on campus within a year; release demographic data on faculty, and hire more Black faculty.

Oko Kangnigan, a member of SDS, was the protest emcee. He led protesters chants such as, “We want justice, you say how? Increase Black enrollment now!” “Black enrollment’s through the floor! We won’t take it anymore” and “Hear us admin you can’t hide! We can see your racist side!” Several people walked by taking fliers to sign on to the petition, staying around to take videos and listen to chants, and expressed their support by pumping their fists.

Several speakers talked about their experiences as Black students at NYU and called out the failure of the administration to make them feel welcomed on campus. They highlighted the necessity to organize and fight for a place on campus and to better the Black student experience through these demands.

“I started by asking ‘Do I really belong here?’ but I want NYU to start answering a different question: ‘What is the admin willing to do to make sure Black students know that we belong here?’ Not just a statement, not just a website, not just in a diversity brochure. But in the classrooms, in the faculty, in the enrollment numbers, the resources and the spaces we are given. As Black students, we do belong here,” said Raoul Estinvil, who is a Black student at NYU.

“We deserve community and the opportunity to take as much space as we possibly need here. It is simply not enough for them to include us in their pedagogies. We must be the ones to tell our own stories. To take back the pens and data used to talk about us as though we have no mouths for ourselves,” said Tapuwanashe Hightower, who spoke for YDSA, adding, “We are not asking, we are demanding for the increase of Black enrollment at NYU.”

“Black students have received threats on our lives that were not properly addressed by the administration, we have watched individuals try to bring white supremacists onto this campus, and we have had our university’s systems hacked, with our intelligence slandered with racial slurs, and our achievements dismissed with the lie that we only got in due to affirmative action. These are realities we have lived through, and the administration’s response has too often been silence, delay or half measures. So yes, we want more Black students at NYU, but we also want a campus where those students can thrive, not just survive. Administration needs to be held accountable, and answer for the harms that have been done and to commit to real, structural change,” read a statement from the Black Student Union, which was read aloud by Jolin Wu, a member of SDS.

“Black students have worked hard for their position at NYU, and we have had to overcome barriers within education and it won't stop now. We will not stop until NYU gives in to our demands! So, my fellow classmates and peers, I implore you. Get out! Come to protests, come to rallies, come to speak-outs because NYU cannot silence your voice!” said Kangnigan in his speech to end the rally.

After speakers, protesters marched through Washington Square Park. Police followed them from behind, in an attempt to intimidate them. Protesters marched to Bobst Library and stopped right in front. To end off the rally, Kangnigan led the crowd in doing a chant, “Dare to struggle! Dare to win!”

#NewYorkNY #NY #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #SDS #NYUBSU

Los Angeles, CA – John Sermeno was once a gang member who would go on to become a revolutionary and Marxist-Leninist. He died on August 12, 2026. Born August 2, 1944, Sermeno was raised in Boyle Heights’ Ramona Gardens housing projects. In his youth he joined the Big Hazard gang.

I first met John in Boyle Heights during the rise of Chicano Power movement. I was in the Brown Berets, John was part of forming La Junta. La Junta united gang members to promote peace in the neighborhoods and social activism. He later was part of forming La Colectiva, a revolutionary group that began to study Mao Tse Tung and other Marxist readings. He was instrumental in recruiting gang members to the Chicano movement and to socialism.

John participated in various Chicano movement activities, but I remember him participating in the Chicano Moratorium of December 20, 1969 (the first), when we protested the Vietnam war and the higher casualty rates of Chicanos. He later joined the La Raza Unida Party Labor Committee and then the August Twenty-Nine Movement (ATM), where he began labor organizing.

Due to heavy repression, I left LA and went underground, losing contact with him. But when I was rearrested in May of 1977, John joined the committee that worked for my freedom. He was active in ATM-ML, an organization that I had also joined in El Paso, Texas during the big Farah pants strike. John attended my court hearings and was part of the campaign that won my case. I recall one little conversation we had at the International Institute at a fundraiser for my case on supporting the important role of women in the movement. He later joined the League of Revolutionary Struggle (LRS) and continued organizing as an M-L, until its dissolution.

We reconnected in later years in the fight to save Hazard Park, from a University of Southern California street encroachment, where he reminded me that this was his hood. He was also active in the Exide clean up from lead pollution. John gave a lifetime to the struggle for Chicano liberation and socialism.

I got the opportunity to call him before he passed, and he was glad that the nursing staff were in a union. Carmen Dillard, his partner, had a memorial for him in East LA on October 1, 2026, where several former ATM-ML and LRS members spoke. He was a revolutionary to the end and an M-L.

Long live the memory of John Sermeno!

#LosAngelesCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #Chicano #JohnSermeno #History #PeoplesStruggles #

Anaheim, CA – On September 29, the Arzola family, alongside Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) attended Anaheim City Council to demand justice for Albert Arzola. Albert was killed by Anaheim PD officer Nathan Garcia on December 6, 2025.

Garcia chased Albert Arzola down the street to his home where he shot him in the back of his head. Arzola had his hands raised and was surrendering to police. His family was present at the home and watched Arzola die. For months leading up to the killing of Arzola, Officer Nathan Garcia harassed Albert and his family.

After public comments were made, Rosie Camacho, the mother of Albert Arzola, stopped and yelled at Anaheim Police Chief Manuel Cid. Camacho said, “We want everything, we want all the cameras! That wasn’t the first time he went to my house! Wasn’t the first time he showed up and called my son by his name!”

Earlier in the meeting, Councilwoman Natalie Rubulcava had this to say, “I have to mention there was a loaded tech 9, a gun banned by name under California Law, which was at the scene that created a serious threat for the officers.” This statement has been used as a justification for the killing of Arzola, despite him being unarmed and giving himself up. This enraged the Arzola family, which led to justified angry comments being hurled at Rubulcava.

During the confrontation,family members continued to yell at the chief and city council. Screams of “Justice for Albert Arzola!” and “Shame!” rang through the council chambers. The meeting was brought to a halt, with the mayor trying desperately to calm things down. She even threatened to stop the meeting, saying, “I understand, thank you. I don’t want to have to recess the meeting.”

The chief had nothing to say. He simply stood off to the side, trying his best to seem unbothered by the confrontation. His silence spoke volumes. He couldn’t look in the family's direction as more and more officers came and stood by him. The family, along with CSO OC, will continue to confront the chief and demand that killer cop Nathan Garcia be fired.

#AnaheimCA #CA #OrangeCounty #AlbertArzola #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, September 23, hundreds of people gathered at the Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center (LCC) at the University of Illinois at Chicago to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cultural center. Founded on September 19, 1976, the LCC was the first cultural center at UIC and was named after a Puerto Rican professor, Rafael Cintrón Ortiz, who supported the just struggles of the student activists in the 1970s.

Just a few hours before the event began, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) led hundreds of students in successfully preventing the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol from attending a career fair hosted by UIC. Student activists, university faculty and staff, and community members filled the LCC. People socialized and shared food, listened to speeches from professors, alumni and cultural center staff, and ended the night by dancing to music by Chicago DJ duo TRQPiTECA and local student band Grupo Tercero. Months of work by cultural center staff, student interns and countless others made this lively celebration possible. Attendees remarked how emotional and empowered the event made them feel, and rightfully so.

Donald Trump’s racist and reactionary administration has come down hard on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. At many universities across the country, cultural centers have been downright closed or “consolidated,” that is, effectively shut down. To make matters worse, these decisions are often made by racist campus administrators without any warning to the staff and interns at said cultural centers, leaving them jobless. Such is the situation at Louisiana State University, for instance. But it would be a mistake to believe that these attacks on DEI are limited to places like the Black Belt South or Aztlán, where the national liberation struggles of the African-American and Chicano peoples for self-determination are respectively rooted.

In the Midwest, and in Black and brown working-class cities like Chicago, there have also been attacks on DEI. At universities like UIC, there is a long history of struggles for full equality for oppressed nationalities. The oppressed students and youth here have waged historic fights for recruitment programs, ethnic studies departments and cultural centers. And to this day, the struggle for full equality rages on. Student activist groups such as New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC have been waging a struggle to defend and increase funding for the cultural centers on campus, successfully reversing a budget cut proposed by the university administration in 2025.

Jorge Mena Robles, a former student activist with the Immigrant Youth Justice League at UIC and current associate director of the LCC, took the stage. Mena Robles introduced the keynote speaker for the nighttime celebration, Dr. Lilia Fernandez.

Dr. Fernandez is a professor and director of Graduate Studies at UIC in the Department of History. She is a historian of the 20th-century United States and author of the seminal work Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago, and perhaps the best professor I’ve ever had at UIC. For this reason, I have received her permission to quote her at length in an attempt to highlight what I believe are some of the most important points that she raised during her keynote speech, which I believe highlight the historical significance of the LCC’s 50th anniversary.

“I'd like to start by acknowledging the many student activists who were here in the early 1970s, especially in 1973, who protested, occupied university hall, made demands for greater access to this university, and otherwise registered their dissent over how this institution explicitly excluded Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans and other students of color. They acted with courage and commitment at great risk to their personal well-being and their educational careers, and it's because of them that we are here today,” said Dr. Fernandez.

Fernandez continued, “Let me provide some further historical context about when the RCOLCC was first opened in 1976. The year before, the United States had finally abandoned the Vietnam War, after it had claimed the lives of so many of our community's young men. The Sears Tower, and in my book it will always be The Sears Tower, was shining anew, having only been built just three years prior. And to bring this closer to home, to make this more personal, I was just a preschooler at El Hogar Del Niño Daycare Center in Pilsen, for any of you who know it. A culturally conscious community institution that provided childcare for the neighborhood's working mothers. El Hogar Del Niño, just like El Centro De La Causa, Casa Aztlán, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, this cultural center, and so much else that we've enjoyed in our communities for decades, was the fruit of so much activist labor.”

Fernandez highlighted how much the university has changed in the past 50 years: “UIC was a very different place 50 years ago. Latino students were very few in number. They found themselves in a sea of predominantly white students, many of whom we should note, traced their own roots to working-class and immigrant families. But few of those white classmates came from the same neighborhoods or high schools, or shared the same cultural practices or traditions as Latino students. Back then, Latinos could experience outright hostility and antagonism for their mere presence here at Circle, as it was known. Not only from academics, who argued that minority students were intellectually inferior, but from others who thought that Latinos did not deserve access to higher education. A lot has changed in the past 50 years. Today, whether the university celebrates it or not, UIC is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.”

In reviewing UIC’s latest demographic statistics, Dr. Fernandez reminded Latino students of the power they hold at the university. She said, “In fall 2025, Latinos made up 36% of all UIC undergraduates, 42% of all incoming first-years, and 30% of all students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs combined. Think about how far we've come in the last 50 years. Fifty years ago Latinos were less than 2% of students here. Today they are the largest ethnic group in this richly diverse, multi-racial community. And unlike days past, where the cultural center was the only refuge where Latino students might find one another, besides a dining hall table I've heard of in the student center back in the day. Today Latino students are visible everywhere on this campus. In fact, this university depends on Latino students. If all of them suddenly decided collectively to withdraw their tuition payments, their financial aid checks, their course registrations… If that were to happen, this university would face a major crisis.”

Dr. Fernandez also explained that many students and youth are dealing with intense “individualism, alienation, and isolation” and that cultural centers such as the LCC can help provide an antidote to these ills and serve as places “to build community, to come together, to learn from one another, face-to-face.” She reflected on the challenging times that we live in under Trump’s racist and reactionary administration, the need to oppose U.S. wars in Asia, Africa and the Americas, and the extreme wealth inequality in this country brought on by the accelerated decline of monopoly capitalism, referring to the times we live in as “The Gilded Age on steroids.”

Then, Dr. Fernandez posed important questions about the historical and contemporary visibility of Latinos in U.S. society. She said, “When people think about our contributions to this country, to this city, we are often celebrated for our arts and culture. That is wonderful. But I want to urge us to think about our culture critically. We're recognized for our colorful fiestas, our celebrations, and there's nothing inherently wrong with being artists or cultural workers. But what I see problematic is when we are reduced and restricted to only those roles. When we are seen strictly through that lens, as festive, happy people, performers, or entertainers, for an audience, perhaps. Then, I think we have a problem. Pigeonholing us in that way diminishes our whole humanity. What about our social, political, and economic contributions? For the enduring campaigns we've fought? For the blood, sweat, and tears we have shed?”

Finally, Dr. Fernandez ended her speech by speaking directly to the youth in attendance and saying, “I'm passionate about lifting up and highlighting our many forms of labor to claim our rightful place in this society, and I'm going to use my authority here as a professor right now to give you all some homework, students in particular, a challenge, perhaps.”

“Whenever you come to campus, I want you to ask yourselves: What are we doing here to advance justice? To bring about meaningful social-political change? To promote collective freedom? I encourage you to think about the LCC as a site of historical struggle, and a place to build on the legacy of those students and community members who fought for us to be able to enjoy it today. So I leave you with these two last questions: What will our legacy be? And how will we be remembered in 50 years? Thank you.”

Ángel Naranjos is a fourth-year student at UIC, a Latin American and Latino Studies major, and a leader of MeSA’s Education, Resistance, and Activism Committee.

#ChicagoIL #IL #OppressedNationalities #Commentary #Chicano #Latino #ImmigrantRights #ICE #UIC

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday, September 23, chants of “Kingsley escucha, estamos en la lucha!” could be heard on Sullivan Street.

Rain Mendoza with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off a rally, stating, “We are here today because of the years of harassment the majority working-class immigrant residents of Coach Royal have been subjected to under Kingsley Management Corporation.”

35 people, including residents of Coach Royal Mobile Home Park and community members, rallied in front of the park to demand a stopping of all fence removals, allowing residents to keep their air conditioning, and maintaining all allotted property sizes. Kingsley uses these bogus violations and changes to the rules to begin the process of stealing homes from the residents.

Teresa Osorio, a resident of the park, spoke about her recent experience. “Olivia Garcia [park manager] came to my house to tell me to remove my fence when just a year before she herself told me to repair it.”

Irene Rodriguez de Guzman spoke about her interactions with Garcia, “She is telling me to remove my fences, which contradicts the fact that she told me to install them because I had issues with the neighbors. She told me where I should put it and came to inspect it after it was installed and she said it looked good. I sacrificed to pay for that fence, how am I going to remove it?”

Karla Alvarado spoke about Kingsley’s intimidation tactics and home theft, “I was one of the people that helped a lot of the residents obtain their titles and after that we were retaliated against by Kingsley Corporation.”

Alvarado added, “I was offered to stay as a tenant as long as I waive my rights and never helped anyone in the community. I obviously refused that, and I was eventually kicked out of my house. My house was taken out of here and sold illegally in a private auction, violating all the laws, because I was never informed of the auction taking place.”

Gabriela Mendoza had a similar experience. “My lawyer confirmed that my house was sold. I told her that to this day I haven't received a single dollar. And I don't think it's fair that my new house that I worked hard for years, they stole my property. This is an injustice.”

Pointing out more illegal practices, Rain Mendoza added, “Kingsley is starting the process of having all residents allotted property sizes changed. If residents don’t comply, they are hit with severe financial consequences. To force these residents to make these changes and enforce consequences is illegal.”

During the rally, residents pointed to for-sale signs surrounding the protesters and that those homes are ones that have been stolen. As people walked by the rally, they stopped to listen to the testimonies of the residents.

Protesters chanted, “No mas acoso! No mas temor! Los inmigrantes tenemos valor!” which translates to “No more harassment! No more fear! Immigrants have bravery!”

“They are forcing us to remove our air conditioners. This is a horrible thing. You know, recently we were living in an insufferable heat. If it hadn't been for our air conditioning, there would have been tragedies here at Coach Royal,” testified Guadalupe Barragan, a resident of 38 years.

Teresa Carrera, another former resident, described the physical and psychological impact of Kingsley’s actions. “In reality, everything we have been through has been a traumatic abuse. We've been to psychologists. We've had sleepless nights. I got sick to the point that I didn't eat for a month or two. I only drank water and I lost almost 25 pounds. So much stress, so much insomnia, so much thinking about why these people are so unjust.”

Protesters chanted, “Vivir con miedo no es normal! Queremos justicia en Coach Royal!” or, “Living in fear isn’t normal! We want justice at Coach Royal!”

Luis Pedraza Morales Babylon, a former resident whose home was stolen, spoke on behalf of CSO OC. “The Community Service Organization stands firmly with the residents of Coach Royal. CSO is on the front lines fighting back, organizing protests at the park entrance, packing hearing rooms, demanding justice for unjust evictions, and shining a harsh light on management's deceptive tactics. They are fighting to ensure that working-class families and immigrants aren't pushed out through intimidation, language barriers, or forced displacement.”

If you are interested in joining CSO OC in this campaign, you can contact them at orangecountycso@gmail.com or on Instagram at @CSO.OC.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #PeoplesStruggles #Housing #CoachRoyal #KingsleyCorporation #OppressedNationalities #CSOOC

Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of Thursday, September 24, a group gathered for a vigil on Century Avenue at the site where Mario David Coronado Juarez lost his life in a fatal car crash just days before.

Moments before the crash, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped Mario’s vehicle on the side of the road. Coronado Juarez sped away from the agents, which led to the crash that took his life. Mario’s death comes just two days after Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez was shot in the back by ICE agents in Austin, Texas.

Present at this vigil were community members, local activists, politicians and Coronado Juarez’s own family, who were grieving the loss of their loved one. In his memory and honor, attendees prayed and sang. Chants echoed throughout the crowd: “Justicia para Mario.”

Helping to organize the vigil were members from the non-profit organization Movimiento Cosecha, an immigrant rights group which has been fighting for the establishment of sanctuary policies in Grand Rapids. An organizer with Movimiento Cosecha, Gema Lowe, called for attendees to support Mario’s family during this incredibly difficult time.

Lowe further demanded justice for Mario and for the immigrant community who have suffered the pain and brutality inflicted on them by ICE. She told the crowd, “We should be able to walk without fear. We want all agents responsible to be brought to justice.”

As the vigil continued into the night and the sun set on attendees, the Grand Rapids community remained in solidarity to remember the life of a man who was taken from them by ICE’s terror.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MarioDavidoCoronadoJuarez #OppressedNationalities #Feature

New York, NY – For the seventh consecutive month, organizers from the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression gathered members of the community, September 24, to protest the NYPD’s 71st Precinct, where killer cop Conrado Abreu-Gerez continues to draw a six-figure salary. Abreu-Gerez and his partner, Peter Lan, shot and killed 26-year-old Eudes Pierre in December 2021.

Before the speaker program, the New York Alliance gathered a crowd flyering at a nearby subway station. Commuters and passersby, including a high school classmate of Eudes Pierre, expressed outrage that Abreu-Gerez faced no consequences for murdering Eudes. Several told stories of officer misconduct, harassment and incompetence at the 71st Precinct and surrounding precincts.

Organizers then set up in front of NYPD barricades to begin the protest. They were joined by members of the community, including Eudes Pierre’s family. Also in attendance were organizers representing groups such as We The People NYC, who later spoke on systemic corruption.

Participants directed chants at the half dozen cops watching from behind the barricade, shouting, “How do you spell murderer? NYPD!” The officers wore bulletproof vests and kept their hands on their weapons. Among them was Deputy Inspector John Dasaro, the commanding officer of the 71st Precinct. Dasaro is the officer at the 71st with the most substantiated allegations. He made headlines in 2019 when he pulled his gun on a group of Black children in Halloween costumes. The NYPD later invoked its authority to unilaterally end the cases against Dasaro and other officers involved.

The NYPD overpolices Black and brown neighborhoods. Sheina Banatte, Eudes Pierre’s cousin, said, “There’s food insecurity, there’s unemployment, there’s housing, there’s people who can’t even afford to pay to take the subway, but they’re being criminalized.” Every racially-motivated stop risks NYPD escalation to deadly force, especially for people experiencing mental health crises like Pierre did in 2021.

NYAARPR Chair Shivani Ishwar ended the protest with a call to join the fight for community control of the police. They said, “What we cannot do alone, we can accomplish together!” Protesters dispersed with chants of “Justice for Eudes Pierre!” and “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace!”

After dispersing, officers from the 71st Precinct followed members of the New York Alliance in unmarked cars. They initiated stops of three members who were waiting for public transit. Lieutenant Christopher Maccarone, Sergeant Michael John, and Officers Darren Moore and Pedro Mendez attempted to intimidate the organizers, ultimately leaving without making an arrest or issuing summons.

The New York Alliance will continue to protest the 71st Precinct until Conrado Abreu-Gerez and all killer cops are held accountable. As Joe Wilkins of the New York Alliance put it in his speech earlier that evening, “This fight only ends when we win true justice for every life stolen and destroyed by police violence.”

#NewYorkNY #BrooklynNY #NYC #NY #InjusticeSystem #EudesPierre #CornadoAbreuGerez #KillerCop #OppressedNationalities #NYAARPR

Chicago IL – Over 150 students, faculty and community mobilized at the University of Illinois at Chicago Quad on Wednesday, September 23, to protest the UIC administration for inviting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to recruit at the Business Career Fair and to demand that UIC declare itself a sanctuary campus.

The protest, organized by Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) with the support of multiple campus organizations, forced CBP to quietly withdraw from the event.

The action came after students received Handshake (a university jobs board) notifications inviting them to meet with border patrol recruiters at the career fair.

MeSA issued a call for the UIC community to demand that Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda, the UIC administration and the College of Business revoke the invitation and make a public statement to the community. Within hours, the administration shut down phone lines as students, staff and community members flooded the chancellor's office with calls and emails. CBP announced it would not attend, but the administration refused to formally revoke the invitation.

MeSA speakers made it very clear that CBP's backing out from the event was a victory won by student organizing. And that the administration is at fault for it.

“The only reason those pigs aren't here right now is because of our efforts, your efforts,” said Lupe Lara Guzman, a co-lead of MeSA's ERA Committee.

Guzman continued, “Chancellor Miranda was perfectly fine with their attendance as long as they followed proper guidelines. Chancellor Miranda: was CBP following proper guidelines when they murdered Silverio Villegas González last September? Or when they abducted two women off of our campus last October? Have they been following proper guidelines as they continue to terrorize our communities every single day? You cannot hide behind protocol, Chancellor Miranda. Your neutrality and silence is complicity. More than that, it is disgusting, morally abhorrent, and shameful.”

Kalin Daniel of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) told the crowd, “The harm was done the moment that invitation was sent. The fact that CBP declined does not erase the fact that UIC administration wanted them here. It does not erase the fact that they viewed an agency of state violence as a 'suitable employer' for our students.”

Kayla Nguyen, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “As a rapid responder myself, I see the on-the-ground impacts of these racists on Chicago's streets every day.”

Nguyen continued, “We see CPD allowing ICE to stage in the 17th District police department parking lot. We see CPD racially profiling and targeting Mexican families celebrating Independence Day. We see them handing snacks and water to ICE and CBP at Broadview. This system is fucking broken, and we fucking know it. This an empire in decline. Donald Trump and his racist capitalist cronies are just a symptom of it!”

Karime Beltran, another co-lead of MeSA's ERA Committee, stated, “As a Mexican American student, it is deeply disturbing to see UIC prioritize an employer relationship over the safety, dignity, and sense of belonging of its own students. We are demanding more than statements. We are demanding action. UIC should take meaningful steps toward becoming a sanctuary campus, including cutting institutional ties with CBP and ICE and prioritizing the safety and well-being of the students who call this university home.”

The protest was organized by MeSA in response to UIC's invitation to CBP and the administration's refusal to formally rescind it. The action builds on the prior organizing work of MeSA's sanctuary campus campaign, which has demanded that UIC cut ties with immigration enforcement agencies and invest in protections for undocumented students. The ever-increasing demand for a sanctuary campus comes after a federal court struck down the Acevedo Act, Illinois DREAM Act, and Illinois RISE Act in July 2026, severely restricting educational access for undocumented students in Illinois. It also follows the abduction of two women by immigration agents on UIC's campus during Operation Midway Blitz last October.

Endorsing organizations for the September 23 rally included Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, Anakbayan at UIC, Fearless Undocumented Alliance, Jewish Student Collective at UIC, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Sanctuary For All.

Organizers called on people to join organizations and continue the fight for a sanctuary campus and to hold the administration accountable.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #MESA #UIC #CBP #ICE #Chicano #OppressedNationalities

Dallas, TX – On September 21, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – Dallas (NAARPR-Dallas) and the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition held a protest outside the Dallas ICE field office in response to the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Pérez, a Venezuelan immigrant by an ICE agent in Austin.

Lili Monge, a member of NAARPR-Dallas, spoke at the rally, saying, “First it was Houston, then it was Austin; it’s only a matter of time before it happens in Dallas. We need to demand city council pass resolutions to hold an independent investigation into these shootings and killings. No one in Congress or any governmental body is holding them accountable. We don’t feel safe around ICE. We need to keep pushing back to regain the civil rights that we've lost.”

40 people gathered to make their voices heard and held signs denouncing ICE killings. Members of different organizations attended the rally, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization and DFW-Anti War Committee.

Chants rang out such as, “Legalization for all” and “Killer ICE off our streets!”

#DallasTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #ICE #WilberRafaelGarcesPerez #NAARPRDallas #OppressedNationalities

Austin, TX – Around 200 people protested outside the Texas Capitol on Monday evening, September 21, to demand justice for a Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, who was shot by ICE and left in critical condition in Austin on Sunday.

After several rounds of energetic chants from the crowd, Selena Jurado of La Frontera Unida gave a speech. Jurado explained that within hours of the shooting, ICE took Garcés Pérez into custody, stating, “They denied his lawyer access. They denied his wife access to her husband. This is modern-day terrorism.”

Jurado continued, “La Frontera Unida raises these three demands. Primero, Wilber must be released from ICE custody immediately. Segundo, the ICE agent who shot him must be arrested and prosecuted. Tercero, there must be a real independent investigation. La Frontera Unida is not interested in another federal cover-up!”

Jesse Valdelamar, the emcee of the rally, said, “We will never support ‘reforming’ ICE into a more humane version of itself. As long as there exists a permanent body of second-class citizens, there will always be immigration enforcement, and there will always be la migra. This is why La Frontera Unida supports legalization for all as the real solution to the immigration question!”

Cynthia Treviño, another member of La Frontera Unida, spoke on the coming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorians. She said, “The expiration of TPS for Salvadoreños is setting the stage for hundreds of thousands of our raza to suffer the same fate as Wilber. As a Chicana, I understand this history intimately. My ancestors didn't cross the border, the border crossed us. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo promised my people property rights, language rights, cultural rights. What we got instead was centuries of violence and displacement.”

Treviño continued, “Terrorism is what awaits those who do not stand up and fight back. Today's immigrants, whether from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela, face the same terror. And just like my ancestors, they are fighting back.”

Sofie Gomez of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) urged, “When people migrate here, they are uprooting their whole lives out of desperation, but they live here in the states as second-class citizens, continuing to be exploited as cheap labor. This is the U.S. capitalist machine’s playbook. That’s why we need a new system, socialism, where we can actually address immigration rather than exploit those who immigrate here. Legalization for all is the way forward!”

#AustinTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #ICE #OppressedNationalities #TPS #Venezuela #Shooting #WilberRafaelGarcesPerez #Feature

Tampa, FL – On September 13, about eight activists with Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee held a sign-waving and tabling event outside a local Salvadoran restaurant in response to Trump’s threats to not renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans. It came in response to the call from Legalization for All, a network of grassroots groups across the country organized for immigrants’ rights.

The event included a barrio walk in response to ICE presence a few days ago in the neighborhood around Fletcher and Nebraska Avenues. The patrons at Nuestra Tienda, where the lunch rush was underway, were appreciative of Tampa IRC tabling outside, informing them of their rights, and keeping them updated on TPS’s status.

Also appreciative were the community members in the nearby neighborhood near where ICE was spotted, as folks enthusiastically took the know your rights material to defend themselves from ICE attacks, both for themselves and to distribute to their neighbors.

Attacks on and revocation of TPS is not new for the Trump administration. Since returning to power, Trump has revoked TPS for 13 countries, affecting over a million people in the U.S, including for Venezuela, Syria and Haiti.

TPS for Salvadorans remains in effect, as the deadline came and went without the Department of Homeland Security taking any action one way or the other. TPS for Salvadorans was the first TPS designation in 1990, coming after years of grassroots organizing after a civil war in El Salvador. It was renewed in 2001 after two devastating earthquakes made it impossible for people to return there.

The event reached dozens of people, some spoke about local police forces helping in immigration enforcement through the 287(g) agreement, which deputizes local police forces to act as immigration police, and which both Hillsborough Sheriff’s Department and Tampa Police Department have signed on to.

This event comes on the heels of a rally Tampa IRC held in response to the revocation of TPS for Haitians on July 27. Tampa is home to about 14,000 Haitians, and Tampa IRC will continue to educate the community of their rights in light of Trump’s threats to local immigrant communities through barrio walks and tabling.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #TPS #ElSalvador #Haiti #OppressedNationalities

St. Paul, MN – On Saturday, September 12, the annual Justice for Stolen Lives March took place. The march is organized annually by Toshira Garraway and Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence (FSFAPV) to honor and demand justice for all lives stolen by police. Garraway’s fiancé, Justin Teigen, was brutally murdered and had his body dumped into a recycling bin in 2009 by the Saint Paul Police Department.

The three-mile march started at the Saint Paul Police Department on Hamline Avenue and ended in front of the Minnesota State Capitol, where impacted families spoke powerfully about their loved ones and their fights for justice.

The chanters of the march included Mississippi organizer Marquell Bridges of the Building Bridges Coalition, who travelled to Minnesota with Daveon Williams, the father of Kohen Wiley, a one-year-old baby who was shot and killed in the arms of his mother earlier this year by a Senatobia, Mississippi police officer.

Bridges spoke to the shared struggle between organizers in Minnesota and Mississippi. Bridges stated, “It's important for us to build this network. It’s important for us to build community and share this space together. Continue to lead the world. We need you to come to Mississippi and show us how you got ICE out. Show us how you created the 2020 movement.”

There was no shortage of stories from impacted families to be shared at the Justice for Stolen Lives March. The family of David Storbakken, an unhoused Native man whose disappearance has not been investigated by SPPD; Ebony Dobbins, a mother who had her home broken into unlawfully by Minneapolis police; Amity Dimock, the mother of Kobe Heisler, an autistic Black man shot during a mental health crisis, and others, all spoke passionately about the painful impacts of experiencing police violence, only to face the indifference of government and the public.

Karen Wells, the mother of Amir Locke, who was murdered in 2022 by Minneapolis Police Department officer Mark Hanneman, spoke candidly about Mayor Jacob Frey’s role in protecting MPD from consequences. Wells called out Frey for dancing in the streets with Black folks while failing to protect communities from MPD’s well-documented racism and violence.

“I have a problem with that, because you’re still trying to cover up my son's murder,” said Wells. “After you shoot our loved ones, you tie their hands behind their backs? There is going to come a time today when [Frey] is going to meet me in person and you are going to have to deal with Amir Ricardo Locke’s mother.”

Many impacted family members are still finding their voices while going through the pain of losing their loved ones and the fear of reprisals from police criminals. That is why organizations like FSFAPV, the Building Bridges Coalition and the Wrongfully Incarcerated & Over-sentenced Families Council are so important. Impacted families need the support of the people’s movements, because the onslaught from the enemy does not cease after the police kill a community member. Those who speak up and fight for justice, like Garraway is currently doing for her fiancé Justin Teigen, often face retaliation and threats from police or their sycophants.

The Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, a branch organization of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, played key roles in helping organize and execute the march by volunteering as marshals, emcees, chanters and speakers. Members also petitioned and spoke about their ongoing campaign to win community control of Minneapolis police.

Jae Yates, a TCC4J organizer, told the crowd, “Someone in the crowd reminded me that disabled people are twice as likely to be killed by police, and it’s important that we uplift that. So many of the families we advocate for had their loved ones murdered because of mental health or mobility problems that made police perceive them as uncooperative or dangerous. We have to commit to protecting all marginalized people, because if the person next to you can’t live in safety and peace, neither can you. We are being kept down by the exact same people, and we only win by fighting together.”

On Friday, September 11, at the Capri Theater in north Minneapolis, community members and organizers gathered for a screening of the 2024 documentary The People’s Way.

The documentary, created by two Black filmmakers, Ashley and William Tyner, follows three Black women leaders in Minneapolis: George Floyd Square caretaker Janelle Austin, City Council member Robin Wonsley and Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence. The film was a powerful reminder of the strength of the movement for Black liberation here in Minneapolis.

#StPaulMN #MN #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #TCC4J #FSFAPV

Jacksonville, FL– As summer comes to a close, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee (JCAC) has completed a second year of their Popular Education in the Park series.

Each summer, the committee chooses a series of public parks in primarily Black neighborhoods to host a teach-in and barbecue. The heart of the series is the outreach. Leading up to each event, the group contacts neighborhood associations, businesses and churches. Most importantly, they knock on doors to invite residents into the space to discuss the needs in the neighborhood. This season, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee knocked on over 600 doors to listen to the concerns of Jacksonville residents who often go unheard.

“The strength of this series is really just meeting people where they're at,” said Ash Chatmon, a community organizer with the Jacksonville Community Action Committee. “I think our city intentionally sets so many important conversations during work hours. They don't want to give us a chance to really speak out. Popular Education in the Park proves people have a lot to say about what's happening in this city and a lot of needs that aren't being met.”

This year's series focused on neighborhoods around Riverview Park, Panama Park and Marion Park. Primary concerns of residents were around infrastructure, such as damaged roads, rising utility costs, mental health resources, and concerns that, as Jacksonville rapidly develops, some parts of town will be left behind in budget priorities.

The series concluded with a special commemoration of Black August. Black August is a month-long observance to honor Black political prisoners and fallen freedom fighters around the world. The Jacksonville Community Action Committee recognized this history by presenting a plaque to honor A Mother's Cry, a coalition of local mothers and siblings who have lost their loved ones to the excessive force of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

The event also included educational sessions on self-determination through voting rights, political prisoners in the Black Belt South, and a dive into JCAC’s joint campaign with A Mothers Cry to establish a Mental Health Emergency Response Team that responds to vulnerable individuals with trained mental health professionals instead of inept and dangerous officers.

The event was uplifted with performances by local poets and onsite childcare.

The Jacksonville Community Action Committee encouraged all attendees to learn more about their campaigns and stay updated on their upcoming events.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican #JCAC

Santa Ana, CA – El 21 de agosto, miembros de la Organización de Servicio del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) se unieron a familias cuyos seres queridos fueron asesinados por la policía para exigir justicia para Victor Lopez. 16 personas marcharon desde El Centro Cultural de México portando pancartas que exigían: “Justicia para Victor Lopez” y “Publiquen todas las grabaciones sin editar”. Mientras los manifestantes pasaban junto a un partido de fútbol, ahogaron el himno nacional de Estados Unidos con gritos de: “¿Qué queremos? ¡Justicia! ¿Y cuándo la queremos? ¡Ahora!”.

Al llegar frente al Departamento de Policía, Emily López, hermana de Víctor López, dijo: “Lo mataron en el estacionamiento de su casa. Le dispararon tres veces frente a su hijo de un año y a su pareja. Ambos vieron a mi hermano morir y dar su último suspiro. Estamos aquí hoy para exigir las grabaciones sin editar y el nombre del oficial, y queremos que se rindan cuentas. Queremos evitar que esto le suceda a otra familia.”

A principios de este año, el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana publicó un llamado “informe para la comunidad” que incluía grabaciones parciales de la cámara corporal del agente que mató a Víctor López. La policía ha afirmado que Victor intentaba alcanzar un arma que fue recuperada en el lugar, pero eso no se ve en las grabaciones. En cambio, lo que se ve es cómo el agente apunta inmediatamente su arma hacia López, quien se acercó al agente con las manos arriba antes de darse la vuelta para acostarse en el suelo. Segundos después, el agente alegó que López estaba intentando alcanzar un arma y le disparó hasta matarlo.

El público tiene derecho a ser escéptico ante estas afirmaciones, ya que el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana tiene antecedentes de mentir para justificar su brutalidad y sus asesinatos. Por ejemplo, en 2024, los agentes Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra mintieron diciendo que Noe Rodriguez estaba agitando y apuntando una escopeta hacia ellos para justificar haber disparado casi 30 balas contra un hombre desarmado que sostenía un juguete.

Emily Lopez continuó: “Mi hermano era un joven de 18 años que se esforzaba por mejorar la vida de su familia. Era un trabajador incansable que siempre ayudaba a los demás y ponía a los demás antes que a sí mismo. Era un joven divertido, extrovertido y cariñoso al que le encantaba hacer reír a los demás y siempre se aseguraba de que quienes le rodeaban estuvieran bien. Mi hermano no merecía morir de la manera en que murió. ¡Exijo justicia para mi hermano, Victor Lopez!”

Los manifestantes coreaban: “¡Exigimos justicia! ¡Exigimos respuestas! ¡Una placa no es una licencia para matar!”.

A continuación habló Pearl Arzola, hermana de Albert Arzola, un joven chicano de 19 años: “Perdí a mi hermano un mes antes de que Victor Lopez falleciera, así que cuando me enteré de su trágica muerte, me tocó muy de cerca. No es justo que estemos de luto. Tampoco es justo que la familia Lopez esté de luto. ¡Siento que estos policías deben rendir cuentas y ver por lo que estamos pasando y que los metan a la cárcel!”.

Albert Arzola fue asesinado por el agente Nathan García, del Departamento de Policía de Anaheim. Quedó documentado que García acosó a Arzola desde una patrulla semanas antes del 6 de diciembre, cuando persiguió a Arzola hacia su casa y le disparó en la espalda y el cuello. García también estuvo involucrado en el brutal arresto de un joven chicano desarmado de 14 años en 2024.

Mientras los manifestantes exigían justicia cerca de la entrada del departamento, dos agentes en un vehículo de la Unidad de Pandillas (la unidad número 920) redujeron la velocidad para burlarse de sus consignas, dejando al descubierto la crueldad de la policía. Los manifestantes siguieron el vehículo con carteles y pancartas, gritándoles a los oficiales hasta que se alejaron.

David Pulido, miembro de CSO, habló en último lugar y dijo: “¡Esto es un patrón de violencia racista! Este año vimos cómo la policía arrebataba la vida a chicanos adolescentes. Vimos el asesinato de Jaden Michaca, de 15 años, mientras sufría una crisis de salud mental. Vimos el asesinato de Victor Lopez, un joven padre de 18 años. ¡Tenemos trabajo por hacer! Debemos organizarnos. Somos nosotros quienes debemos llevar a estos agentes ante la justicia. Por eso luchamos por el control comunitario de la policía. Tenemos el derecho democrático fundamental de decidir sobre todos los asuntos policiales”.

Si te interesa luchar contra los crímenes policiales y trabajar junto a familias afectadas por la violencia policial, comunícate con CSO OC a través de Instagram, Facebook o enviando un correo electrónico a orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #VictorLopez #AlbertArzola #OppressedNationalities #Chicano

Federal Way, WA – On September 14, community members held a vigil for Leon Davis, a 27-year-old Black man who was killed by Federal Way police in the spring. The vigil was attended by his friends and family, as well as the Seattle and Tacoma chapters of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (SAARPR and TacAARPR), at West Hylebos Wetlands Park.

Davis was killed by Federal Way police in Saint Francis Hospital on March 12. He had checked into the hospital fearing heart issues, but was then killed while being held down by police and hospital staff for roughly 30 minutes.

“It sounds like Federal Way police have a pattern of concerning and racist behavior,” said Chet Baughman, a Teamster Local 174 member. “This isn't the first time they have done something like this; my co-worker knows someone who was shot by police not too long ago in the area.”

The vigil opened with a member of the Seattle Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression talking about the injustice that had occurred with the murder of Leon Davis. Family members then said words and shared memories of their loved one. More of his family members arrived to support each other in this time of grief. People in the crowd passed a sunflower balloon around, signing it with messages to Davis.

Davis's brothers chanted, “Long live Leon,” and the crowd joined in.

“It’s really emotional seeing him. This shouldn't have happened,” said Aife Pasquale, speaking about his uncle Leon.

Davis's murder by the Federal Way police is one of many instances of police killing of Black people across the Puget Sound. This vigil, and the outpouring from the community, shows the outrage towards racist police conduct happening in our region. SAARPR and TacARRPR advocate for community control of the police, with one speaker identifying targets to continue the fight for justice and real community-led solutions to stop the killing.

“Federal Way, it's just, it's sad because we have family that are police and that's in law enforcement. So, for us to see this and to experience it is even more heartbreaking. And it brings up a lot of distrust for us, and just in Black people in general, and people of color as well,” said Shannice Johnson.

Davis's oldest brother stepped up to the microphone and shared memories, highlighting how Leon was the best of them, and the one that they all loved deeply. The crowd then finished writing messages for Leon on the balloon and then handed it to the family, who had all come together. The family gave the balloon to the children and released it, sending it back to him in the sky. His brothers started to chant “Justice for Leon,” and everyone joined in, calling for the balloon to be received by the clouds. Davis's family continues to fight for justice, to fight for transparency around the circumstances of his killing, and demand accountability.

When asked about how her brother was treated, Shannice Johnson said, “They were very negligent in the way that they handled the situation. And there could have been, anybody could have said something in 25 minutes of them doing what they were doing to him. Anyone could have stood up and, you know, stood up for him, and nobody did.”

#FederalWayWA #WA #SeattleWA #TacomaWA #InjusticeSystem #LeonDavis #KillerCop #OppressedNationalities

Chicago, IL – Thousands of Chicagoans lined up around the block to celebrate the launch of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s re-election campaign at the DuSable Black History Museum on the South Side of Chicago. Overcast skies and drizzling rain did nothing to dampen the spirits of Johnson’s supporters. The crowd represented a vast range of community organizations, unions, faith-based groups, elected officials, youth organizations, and individuals in working and oppressed communities.

“We came together four years ago and said ‘It’s time to get a brother from Chicago on the fifth floor. Someone who will fight for the working class,’” said State Senator Graciela Guzmán, kicking off the event by describing Johnson’s first campaign.

“After generations of trying to speak truth to power, we finally have someone who is speaking truth in power,” added Rev. Tanya Lozano, founder of Healthy Hood Chicago.

“Brother Brandon Johnson does not just represent us, Brother Brandon Johnson is us,” continued Lozano, whose family has brought forward some of the most prolific working-class organizers in Chicago’s history, including Rudy Lozano and Emma Lozano.

“For decades we were told that, to keep people safe, we need mass incarceration and policing. Mayor Johnson showed that we keep people safe through care,” said 33rd Ward Alder Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez.

“The time to organize is now!” declared 20th Ward Alder Jeanette Taylor, encouraging the crowd to work with the Johnson administration in advancing its progressive goals. Taylor also spoke on the history of the predominantly Black 20th Ward, which is home to both the DuSable Museum and Dyett High School, which Taylor went on hunger strike to keep from closing in 2015.

Taylor, Rodriguez Sanchez, Guzmán, and dozens of progressive elected officials and union leaders took to the stage to voice their support of Mayor Johnson. Among them were school board presidential candidate Hilario Dominguez and District 5A incumbent Jitu Brown, who was also one of the Dyett hunger strikers.

“Rebuilding a village takes longer than one term. We had decades of disinvestment and that's not gonna be fixed in four years,” said Chicago Teachers Union member Ashley Davis.

Davis and other speakers uplifted the Johnson administration’s successes. These include investments in schools, mental healthcare, youth programs and violence prevention, as well as minimum wage increases and childcare for working people. Speakers also mentioned Johnson’s stances against ICE and for Palestine.

“He made Chicago one of the first cities in the nation to call for a ceasefire in Gaza,” said Imam Tariq El-Amin, referring to Johnson’s tiebreaker vote on a ceasefire resolution in 2024.

A number of speakers, including Johnson himself, cited the fact that in 2025 Chicago saw its lowest murder rate in 61 years.

“They said there would be blood in the streets and violence would run amok,” Johnson said, referring to a statement by Fraternal Order of Police president John Catanzara in 2023.

The FOP has spent the last four years trying to undermine the Johnson administration and the District councilors elected to hold police accountable. The FOP recently endorsed Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias.

“The ultrarich have done a lot to confuse my record,” said Johnson, explaining why racist groups like the FOP and billionaires like Michael Sacks and the Pritzker family are opposing his reelection. “The same people who closed schools spent millions lying about what we’re doing.”

“This city is better, stronger and safer than the city I inherited,” Johnson said.

He then stressed the importance of the working-class character and cross-racial unity of the coalition that brought him into office. “We refuse to allow authoritarianism to separate us by race when we are united by class.”

#ChicagoIL #IL #BrandonJohnson #Elections #PeoplesStruggles #OppressedNationalities #AfricanAmerican

Gilroy, CA – On September 13, around 75 community members rallied together at San Ysidro Park for a victory rally and march to celebrate the court-ordered pause on construction of the nearby ICE facility.

Community Service Organization San José (CSO San José) called the action in collaboration with the San José Coalition Against Trump (SJCAT) after the Santa Clara County Court ruled in favor of a preliminary injunction, pausing the construction of the ICE detention center being built in Gilroy.

The rally was kicked off by chants led by Pan Garcia of CSO San José, later transitioning into a march from San Ysidro Park to the location where the ICE detention center was being built.The energy remained high throughout the march as chants reflecting community members' demands such as “ICE out of Gilroy,” “Chinga la migra” and “Se ve, se siente – el pueblo está presente!”

Once the march arrived at the ICE construction site, the crowd gathered for the program. Ariya Amin with CSO San José stated, “This is a win for us, and this is a small step that we are proud to see in the fight to stop this detention center.”

Amin continued, “This means that construction will need to be at a halt until the court case is complete, and it is hopeful.” Amin went on to explain that Santa Clara County and the attorney general's office had five legal allegations prepared in response to the federal government's initiative to carry out the unlawful construction of the ICE detention center in Gilroy. Out of the five allegations, just one was enough to call for a temporary injunction.

Lyla Salinas, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), stated, “They paused the construction of the detention center; this is a win for the immigrant rights movement here in Gilroy, in San José and nationally!”

Salinas continued, “We have shown that every time we face injustice, that we face oppression as immigrants and Chicanos, that we need to fight back! And when we fight back, we win!”

“It’s not just this, it’s also attacks against students, against workers, every single one of the people’s movements is being attacked by the Trump administration today,” continued Salinas. “Every punch, every fight, everything that is thrown at our people, we have to fight back in force. We have to fight back and show them that we as people have the power!”

After the program ended, people marched back to San Ysidro, chanting in good spirits as they celebrated this people's victory, won through struggle.

#GilroyCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter #OppressedNationalities #BayArea

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, September 9, 35 students gathered at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Quad on a rainy morning to participate in a rally called for and led by Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) demanding undocumented students’ right to education, that the university administration fight Donald Trump’s racist agenda, and a sanctuary campus.

This protest comes after recent attacks on educational access for undocumented students by the Trump administration. On July 24, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois struck down the Acevedo Act, Illinois DREAM Act, and Illinois RISE Act under the rationale that they “violated federal law when applied to non-citizens.” David W. Dugan, the federal judge presiding over these rulings, was appointed by Trump in 2020 shortly before the end of his first term as president. These acts were bravely fought for by student activists across Illinois, and their gutting has had an immediate impact on undocumented students’ right to education.

The Acevedo Act made it possible for undocumented students to have access to affordable in-state tuition to attend college in Illinois. The Illinois DREAM Act made scholarships, college savings, and prepaid tuition accessible to undocumented students who graduated from Illinois high schools, among other things. The RISE Act allowed undocumented and transgender students who were not eligible for federal student aid to apply for state financial aid like the MAP Grant through the Alternative Application. Now, many of these options are no longer available or have been severely restricted.

Lupe Lara Guzman, a member of MeSA’s Education Resistance and Activism Committee, said, “I want to invite you to imagine what undocumented and Chicane/Latine students have lived through leading up to this point here at UIC, having to watch as our university flaunts its status as a Hispanic Serving Institution, while seemingly having no care for the safety of those same students, and refusing to acknowledge the abduction of two women on our campus.”

Lara Guzman continued, “We had to commute to campus as ICE occupied our city during Operation Midway Blitz, like vultures circling. We had to sit through lectures as ICE was seen at our parents' workplaces, at our sibling’s schools, and on train platforms that we were just on. That is no way to live, no way to learn. And now even our education is being stripped from us while our university does nothing. Shame!”

Estefani Sánchez, another member of MeSA’s Education Resistance and Activism Committee, said, “The Trump administration has ramped up attacks on higher education and is reversing laws and acts that make education affordable for students who otherwise would not have been able to go to college. These attacks are attempts to isolate and encourage students to self-deport, which we firmly oppose. All students should have the right to an affordable and accessible education regardless of one’s legal status in the United States.”

“MeSA intends to continue in the struggle for access to education for all students and continue to advocate for a sanctuary campus for everyone at UIC!” said Sánchez.

Endorsing organizations included Anakbayan at UIC, Fearless Undocumented Alliance, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Graduate Employees Organization Local 6297, Immigrant Rights Working Committee of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Lambda Theta Phi, Latine in Law, Latinos Unidos, New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, and Sanctuary For All.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #MeSA #StudentMovement #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino