Immigration and Custom Enforcement actions across the nation have been making headlines and raising tensions. Some immigrant advocacy groups are concerned ICE is expanding the scope of immigrants targeted in enforcement operations.
An ICE raid Wednesday morning marks the first of these less indiscriminate operations happening locally.
Almost 50 people brandishing signs, beating drums and shouting protest songs shut down Main Street traffic in protests and a show of solidarity with immigrants.
Johana Bencomo was leading the chant; she is an organizer with CAFE the group that coordinated the rally.
“Civil disobedience is just another tool in community organizing.” Bencomo said “When our demands are not heard and not met, we will escalate. “We wanted to show our community that we don’t stand alone and we will do anything it takes to bring peace to this community.”
Bencomo said though deportations were at record highs under the Obama administration ICE enforcement prioritized deporting criminals over immigrants simply living in the U.S. illegally with families. She said a change in these ICE priorities under the Trump administration will tear more mixed status families apart.
“It made me more scared” Brandon Vasquez said,
He was brought to US, illegally as a child from Mexico, which made him for temporary status and relief from deportation through Deferred Action for Child Arrivals or DACA. But that order was enacted during the Obama administration. Days before we spoke to Vasquez, a DACA recipient was detained by ICE in Seattle.
‘I feel like I am still illegal, like I don’t have documents” Vasquez said. “I feel like I am still a target to be deported even if I have my DACA permit.’
“It is scary” “I feel like I am walking on glass.” Vasquez said
Bencomo said shutting down peak hour traffic is just a taste of the civil disobedience that might be taken to push elected officials to protect Las Cruces communities from broader ICE enforcement.
“In the Trump era our communities will have to do drastic measures for change.” Bencomo said “That resistance will have to be localized, we will have to organize locally to try to stop those kinds of things from happening.”
Bencomo said enforcement activities also impacted communities in Chaparral and east El Paso.