Vol. 71/No. 24      June 18, 2007

Young Socialists across the United States are joining and helping build actions demanding an end to raids and deportations and legalization of undocumented immigrants. They are also helping circulate the Militant widely among working people of all nationalities, and others, as part of advancing support for these demands. Below are two recent reports on such work.
 

We sold 85 copies and 6 subscriptions to the Militant at the plant gates yesterday and another 26 copies and 7 subscriptions today.

At the plant gates we quickly ran out of the 50 copies we had of the new issue; fortunately we had dozens of back issues with us.

Outside the plant gates we held signs that read, “No deportation.” We were met with a charged and mixed reaction, including double takes, honks of support, thumbs up, and opposition.

Many, mostly Latino workers, stopped and bought the paper.

A number of people, mostly U.S.-born, slowed down, stared, and then sped off; some yelled comments against “illegals.”

One worker on a motorcycle slammed on his breaks, looked at the sign, and said, “Illegals should be deported.” After some discussion, he bought the Militant but continued to argue that the undocumented should be deported before speeding off.

A man who bought the paper came back on foot to talk. He said he works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and was woken up by la migra at 2 a.m. He said his wife is undocumented and was angry at the ICE agents banging on their door, which they didn’t open. He wanted to know where he could file a complaint and what can be done to stop ICE from violating peoples’ rights. He said he would join any protests planned against the raids. Later he returned again to buy an introductory subscription to the Militant.
 

Workers in the area reported that six workers were arrested at a nursery and two were picked up outside a Latino grocery store during this most recent raid. The Cleveland Plain Dealer said a total of 13 Hondurans accused of being in the country illegally were arrested.

Two protest actions took place May 27 following the first raid in which 24 people were arrested (see last week’s Militant).

Ernesto, 21, from Sacramento, California, was visiting family and friends here. He said the situation isn’t hopeless. “These people are not going to leave. Their homes are here; their families are here.”

This town is very polarized. On June 2 some people rallied in the town square opposing immigrant rights with U.S. flags and signs saying, “What part of legal don’t you understand?”

Pedro Arredondo, a landscaping worker who drove past the rightist rally, said he estimated it was 30-50 people. He noted that the front-page photo in last week’s Militant showed that Blacks and whites, not just Latinos, participated in the May 27 rally for immigrant rights. “That’s important,” he said.

While going door-to-door introducing people to the Militant, we were invited by a dozen nursery workers to a barbecue in their backyard to have some chicharrón stew where we discussed the struggle for legalization, the recent protests, conditions on the job, and how to fight against cop brutality. Three workers there picked up copies of the Militant. Many said they get along well with neighbors and coworkers of all different backgrounds and are surprised by the polarization.
 
 
Related articles:
Workers outraged at Minnesota raid
U.S. officials, employers debate new immigration bill
3,000 rally in Washington: ‘Legalize undocumented now!’
Immigration cops sweep through rural Washington town  
 
 
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