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Miami Herald
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
May Day, May Day, May Day: A universal distress call for workers
This May Day we are sounding the alarm. May 1, International Labor Day, is more than a date; it's a movement for justice, equality and dignity for working people. We honor the enduring power of solidarity and the fight for justice in the farm fields, streets and our classrooms, all of which are currently under attack. The struggles of workers and civil rights have always been intertwined. From Cuban patriot José Martí, who fought for the dignity and freedom of workers across the Americas in the 19th century, to Mexican-Amercan Cesar Chavez, who led the United Farm Workers' movement in California in the 1960s to fight for better wages and conditions, history has shown that the fight for labor rights is inseparable from the fight for human rights. In Latin America, Martí championed the rights of the oppressed and believed that true liberty could only be achieved when workers were treated with dignity and respect. In the United States, from labor strikes of the late 1800s to the Memphis sanitation workers' strike of 1968, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated, workers have always stood at the center of the fight for civil rights. Workers have endured many injustices while leading the charge for a better future for all. Today, that fight continues. The Trump administration has aggressively targeted union rights, especially for federal workers. In March, Trump issued an executive order nullifying contracts for thousands of federal employees. The administration also eliminated collective bargaining rights for all Transportation Security Administration workers, affecting over 40,000 employees. It has also gutted worker protection agencies by firing staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and cutting the Department of Education, making our workplaces less safe and our ability to provide resources for students with disabilities and vulnerable children in rural and urban communities less attainable. From Washington, D.C., to Tallahassee, extremist politicians are working overtime to silence our collective voice. Here in Florida, state leaders have pushed dangerous legislation like 2023's Senate Bill 256 to weaken worker rights, silence educators and block workers from organizing for better pay, safe workplaces and basic dignity. These attacks hurt our children, families, futures and communities. But we are not backing down. May Day is a celebration of the power of solidarity among all workers. It is a reminder that across race, background and job title, we are standing together for a Florida and a nation where workers are respected, voices are heard and no one is left behind. While immigrant workers are harvesting our produce under the hot sun, SEIU nurses are saving lives, AFSCME workers are cleaning up our streets, TWU drivers are taking people to and from work and UTD educators are giving students access to opportunities through education, we demand that Congress do their job. We need Congress to take back their power and enact the checks and balances that exist in the U.S. Constitution. All of us have a job and we expect Congress to protect our democracy from fascism. That is why, on this International Labor Day, I ask you to stand with workers everywhere by speaking out, organizing and resisting authoritarianism attempting to take away our rights. Join the thousands of people who are taking up public spaces and demanding justice for education, workers, healthcare and opportunities for all. The movements across our nation are growing and will be more impactful when we all stand in solidarity of our collective rights. As the chant goes, 'When workers' rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!' Because when we fight together, we win. And when we rise in solidarity, we rise for all. Karla Hernandez-Mats is the outgoing president of the United Teachers of Dade.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds protest Trump deportation policies in the Inland Empire. 'We're leaving fear behind'
With the Trump administration promising the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, more than 200 people marched through downtown Ontario on Saturday morning in support of the Inland Empire's immigrant community. The energetic crowd waved American and Mexican flags, banged drums and unleashed noisemakers as they paraded along the sidewalks. They chanted, 'We are not leaving," and the United Farm Workers' motto, 'Sí, se puede.' Demonstrators erupted into cheers when vehicles along Euclid Avenue honked in support. The protest — promoted on social media as a 'mass mobilization against mass deportation' — was led by the San Bernardino-based Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, which is comprised of more than 35 organizations serving the immigrant community in the Inland Empire. The region is home to a sizable immigrant population. According to a 2018 report from UC Riverside's Center for Social Innovation, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and the California Immigrant Policy Center, one in five Inland Empire residents was an immigrant, with nearly 1 million immigrants across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. San Bernardino County also is home to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, one of California's largest immigration detention centers, which is managed by the private prison corporation GEO Group. A coalition of immigrant rights groups has advocated for the facility's closure for years, citing health, safety and human rights concerns. Addressing the crowd before beginning the march, Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, framed the administration's rhetoric as an attempt to sow fear and panic among the immigrant community; a ploy to make people cower in the shadows or self-deport. "The way we fight back is by coming out to the streets," Hernandez said. 'We're leaving fear behind and pushing forward with our fight for immigrant rights.' 'Sin papeles, sin miedo,' he cried out, leading attendees in a boisterous chant. 'Undocumented, unafraid.' Confronting that fear — and speaking out for those feeling attacked and afraid to protest — was on the minds of many protesters. Andy Garibay came to the country as a baby and now has work authorization and deportation protection through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. A mother of two, she lives in Rialto and works in payroll administration. She said the Trump administration's threats have her and her family on edge. Her family group chat seems to be constantly pinging with possible sightings of immigration officials near the warehouses where many relatives work, she said. Read more: LAPD presence at South L.A. immigration raid sparks questions 'Why should it be like this?' said Garibay, who held signs reading, 'One Love,' and had a Mexican flag wrapped around her hair. Deanna Pennino, of Ontario, is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. He taught her and her siblings to work hard and be proud Americans, while never forgetting their roots, she said. Pennino, a respiratory therapist at a local hospital, said several colleagues have stopped coming to work, afraid immigration authorities could show up at any moment. Trump on his first day in office rescinded a Biden-era policy that protected certain sensitive locations, including churches, schools and hospitals, from immigration enforcement. Pennino also fought against Proposition 187, a 1994 ballot initiative that sought to bar immigrants lacking documentation from receiving any public benefits, including healthcare, education and social services. That experience, she said, proved to her that 'we can fight and make a difference.' Read more: They patrol L.A.'s streets in search of ICE, Trump immigration raids During Saturday's march, she carried a sign reading 'Deport Elon,' a reference to Elon Musk, a South African immigrant who is leading a controversial effort to weed out alleged fraud, waste and abuse from the federal government. Trump initially focused his rhetoric on tracking down immigrants lacking authorization and who have been accused of violent crimes. His administration now says it considers all immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization to be criminals, because they have violated immigration laws. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already conducted well-publicized operations in Chicago and New York, among other places. The pledge of more enforcement actions has rattled immigrant communities throughout California and across the country and spurred a groundswell of activism. Last weekend, rumors that the federal government was planning a massive immigration enforcement sweep in Los Angeles County put many people on high alert. At that time, ICE officials did not say whether any special operations had taken place and did not release daily arrest figures. However, it appeared any such operation had not been anywhere near as widespread as many had predicted. In early January, at the tail end of the Biden administration, Border Patrol agents conducted a multi-day raid in rural parts of Kern County, resulting in the detention and deportation of scores of laborers lacking documentation. Read more: 'They just got my uncle': Immigration arrests spark fear among farmworkers in Central Valley This week, ACLU attorneys representing the United Farm Workers and five Kern County residents sued the head of the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol officials, alleging the raid amounted to a 'fishing expedition' that indiscriminately targeted people of color who appeared to be farmworkers or day laborers. This article is part of The Times' equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California's economic divide. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Hundreds protest Trump deportation policies in the Inland Empire. ‘We're leaving fear behind'
With the Trump administration promising the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, more than 200 people marched through downtown Ontario on Saturday morning in support of the Inland Empire's immigrant community. The energetic crowd waved American and Mexican flags, banged drums and unleashed noisemakers as they paraded along the sidewalks. They chanted, 'We are not leaving,' and the United Farm Workers' motto, 'Sí, se puede.' Demonstrators erupted into cheers when vehicles along Euclid Avenue honked in support. The protest — promoted on social media as a 'mass mobilization against mass deportation' — was led by the San Bernardino-based Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, which is comprised of more than 35 organizations serving the immigrant community in the Inland Empire. The region is home to a sizable immigrant population. According to a 2018 report from UC Riverside's Center for Social Innovation, the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice and the California Immigrant Policy Center, one in five Inland Empire residents was an immigrant, with nearly 1 million immigrants across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. San Bernardino County also is home to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, one of California's largest immigration detention centers, which is managed by the private prison corporation GEO Group. A coalition of immigrant rights groups has advocated for the facility's closure for years, citing health, safety and human rights concerns. Addressing the crowd before beginning the march, Javier Hernandez, executive director of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, framed the administration's rhetoric as an attempt to sow fear and panic among the immigrant community; a ploy to make people cower in the shadows or self-deport. 'The way we fight back is by coming out to the streets,' Hernandez said. 'We're leaving fear behind and pushing forward with our fight for immigrant rights.' 'Sin papeles, sin miedo,' he cried out, leading attendees in a boisterous chant. 'Undocumented, unafraid.' Confronting that fear — and speaking out for those feeling attacked and afraid to protest — was on the minds of many protesters. Andy Garibay came to the country as a baby and now has work authorization and deportation protection through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. A mother of two, she lives in Rialto and works in payroll administration. She said the Trump administration's threats have her and her family on edge. Her family group chat seems to be constantly pinging with possible sightings of immigration officials near the warehouses where many relatives work, she said. 'Why should it be like this?' said Garibay, who held signs reading, 'One Love,' and had a Mexican flag wrapped around her hair. Deanna Pennino, of Ontario, is the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. He taught her and her siblings to work hard and be proud Americans, while never forgetting their roots, she said. Pennino, a respiratory therapist at a local hospital, said several colleagues have stopped coming to work, afraid immigration authorities could show up at any moment. Trump on his first day in office rescinded a Biden-era policy that protected certain sensitive locations, including churches, schools and hospitals, from immigration enforcement. Pennino also fought against Proposition 187, a 1994 ballot initiative that sought to bar immigrants lacking documentation from receiving any public benefits, including healthcare, education and social services. That experience, she said, proved to her that 'we can fight and make a difference.' During Saturday's march, she carried a sign reading 'Deport Elon,' a reference to Elon Musk, a South African immigrant who is leading a controversial effort to weed out alleged fraud, waste and abuse from the federal government. Trump initially focused his rhetoric on tracking down immigrants lacking authorization and who have been accused of violent crimes. His administration now says it considers all immigrants in the U.S. without legal authorization to be criminals, because they have violated immigration laws. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already conducted well-publicized operations in Chicago and New York, among other places. The pledge of more enforcement actions has rattled immigrant communities throughout California and across the country and spurred a groundswell of activism. Last weekend, rumors that the federal government was planning a massive immigration enforcement sweep in Los Angeles County put many people on high alert. At that time, ICE officials did not say whether any special operations had taken place and did not release daily arrest figures. However, it appeared any such operation had not been anywhere near as widespread as many had predicted. In early January, at the tail end of the Biden administration, Border Patrol agents conducted a multi-day raid in rural parts of Kern County, resulting in the detention and deportation of scores of laborers lacking documentation. This week, ACLU attorneys representing the United Farm Workers and five Kern County residents sued the head of the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol officials, alleging the raid amounted to a 'fishing expedition' that indiscriminately targeted people of color who appeared to be farmworkers or day laborers. This article is part of The Times' equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California's economic divide.
