Vol. 72/No. 17      April 28, 2008

“Organizing has gotten harder since the immigration judge passed an order this Friday that those of us with ankle bracelets cannot leave the house after 7 p.m. or before 7 a.m.,” said Ulises, a leader of the United Workers of Van Nuys.

The immigration police arrested 138 workers in February in a raid at the Micro Solutions plant in Van Nuys, a district near Los Angeles. These workers have organized demonstrations and fundraising events to fight against the government’s effort to deport them. They are planning a big presence at the May 1 march and rally here for immigrant rights.

“They’re doing this because we’ve been making noise and not staying quiet,” Ulises said. “They’ve felt the pressure and are trying to intimidate us, but we’re going to continue to march.”

The March 25th Coalition and the Multi-ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network are the two main coalitions calling the May Day action here. The action calls for legalization for immigrant workers and an end to raids and deportations. In the past the two coalitions organized separate marches, but organizers say they were spurred to organize a united action this year in face of an increase in raids by the immigration cops and other police measures against immigrant workers.

The Los Angeles activities on May 1 start at 2 p.m., with rallies at MacArthur Park and at Olympic and Broadway, followed by a march to City Hall.

The city council is discussing repealing Order 40, which prohibits the Los Angeles cops from checking immigration status. Council members are using the killing of a Black teenager by a youth who was allegedly undocumented to try to win support for the anti-immigrant measure.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol are increasing their raids in Los Angeles County.

“These raids have been under the pretext of ‘routine inspections’ these agencies never did,” said Xiomara Corpeño, of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles. “And now they go to the warehouses and leave not with materials but workers.”

“All immigrants should come out to protest the conditions of work here,” said Erendira, a garment worker at the American Apparel plant, when asked about the importance of the May Day march. “People who are not immigrants need to come out against this same system too.”
 
 
Related articles:
Seattle campuses build toward May Day
Paris march demands legalization for immigrants
May Day Actions for Immigrant Rights  
 
 
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