United States: Organising to Resist Mass Immigrant Raids
Los Angeles County has declared a state of emergency in response to ongoing immigration raids by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
According to reports, many Los Angeles neighbourhoods, usually bustling with activity, now lay empty and deserted due to the increased raids. This scene is becoming common in immigrant communities across the United States.
The cause of this desertion is the dramatic increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids under the Donald Trump administration. Raids are carried out by dozens of agents arriving in unmarked cars, wearing rifles and bulletproof vests, and increasingly, ski masks.
These agents often refuse to identify themselves, adding to the fear and uncertainty of the raids. Undocumented workers are being handcuffed, thrown into rented vans, and taken away.
Grassroots activists and communities are organizing to resist these raids and support those affected.
Jonathan Cannard paints a picture of the crisis and the organised response by grassroots activists and communities.
Author's summary: US immigrant communities resist mass raids.