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

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

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

Immigrant rights activists protest

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

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

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

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

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

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

Obama: Issue a deferred action for all undocumented now!

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