Kenner, LA — Forty people gathered at North Kenner Recreational Center on the afternoon of Saturday, December 20, to demand ICE out of the greater New Orleans area. Some protesters drove from nearby New Orleans to show solidarity with their neighbors in Kenner, which has been a target for ICE raids in recent weeks.

“Kenner police are under an agreement called a 287 (g) that allows them to be deputized to work with Border Patrol and ICE. We demand an end to this collusion, and we will not sit by while they torment our people,” explained Sable Murphy of the New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

“As a naturalized citizen, I was arrested wrongly by ICE agents; it was purely based on racial profiling. They detained me, they threw me to the ground, they piled on top of me, they handcuffed me and beat me up,” said Alfredo Salazar, a first generation Mexican-American and organizer with immigrant rights organization Union Migrante whose speech was translated from Spanish.

“Whether it’s in New Orleans or Kenner we need to make this country ungovernable for Donald Trump,” added Mat Ricciardo of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Ricciardo continued, “Politicians aren’t going to kick ICE out for us. We are the only people who will plunge our hands into the fertile land of this country and rip out the poisonous weeds like ICE and Donald Trump.”

The fired-up crowd marched along the sidewalk down Williams Boulevard and rallied outside a strip mall in front of the Burlington store where anti-ICE rallies have popped up the last two Saturdays. Cars passing by honked in support and drivers rolled windows down to cheer, pump their fists and give thumbs-up. Some even stopped to join the protest.

The crowd continued calls for Kenner city council to end the 287(g) agreement, chanting, “City council, grow a spine! Immigrant lives are on the line!” and “Fuera ICE!”

#KennerLA #LA #ImmigrantRights #ICE

From Fight Back! News via this RSS feed