Our hope and solidarity are with the people of Los Angeles. For several days now, thousands of Angelenos, along with labor unions and community organizations, have been protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, showing the country and the world that they will not give in to the authoritarianism of the Trump administration.
Trump’s immigration crackdown is a racist, xenophobic project in and of itself. But it is also part of his strategy to terrorize the broader working class. By deploying the National Guard, and now the Marines, to Los Angeles, the Trump administration is hoping to intimidate anyone who would resist his policies into fearful submission. But supporters of freedom refuse to back down. Demonstrations against ICE have spread all over the country, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Raleigh, San Antonio, Atlanta, and many other places.
Bread & Roses stands in solidarity with immigrant communities and those who protest Trump’s authoritarianism. The overwhelming majority of the actions so far have been nonviolent and have tried to build a big and broad turnout, with people of all ages from all walks of life. The attempt by the far right to manufacture a violent confrontation to justify a crackdown has been despicable. It is unacceptable that the National Guard and Marines have been called in to repress people protesting in defense of their communities, democratic rights, and the common good. We call for the immediate withdrawal of all armed forces and the immediate release of all protesters without charges.
The ongoing battle in Los Angeles will influence the fight against the far-right across the world. As Angelenos resist ICE, Israel has kidnapped, deported, or imprisoned the 12 members of the Freedom Flotilla mission, which tried to establish a humanitarian sea corridor to deliver life-saving aid to Gaza. We vehemently condemn the kidnapping of the crew members by Israeli armed forces and express our full solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Palestinian people. Ultimately, the fate of our struggles is the same.
We support the righteous slogans that have been vocalized from the streets in the last few days, such as “ICE out of our communities” and “No human being is illegal.” We also raise our banners for free speech and the right to protest. The very machinery behind Trump’s immigration crackdown is being used to repress the pro-Palestine student movement, through tactics like blanket revocations of student visas, the invasion of personal data, kidnappings, illegal detentions, and expulsions.
We can win the standoff in Los Angeles by growing the demonstrations and taking them national. The power of collective action has already been demonstrated in the release of SEIU leader David Huerta following coordinated pressure from organized labor and allied community groups. But the fight does not stop until our communities are free of ICE and safe for all people, regardless of legal status.
Join the anti-ICE protests in your city and bring pro-immigrant and free speech demands to broader demonstrations, like No Kings Day on June 14th. Mobilizations by huge numbers of regular people are crucial to stopping Trump and the far right. Democratic Socialists of America members should participate in these actions with a clear message: “Abolish ICE, Protect Free Speech, and Stand with Immigrants.”
Bread & Roses is proud to be in this fight with DSA, and we will not stop until there is freedom, safety, and justice for all.
