Hundreds Caravan in LA for Immigrant Rights

LOS ANGELES — On Jan. 27, a demonstration of several hundred people in their vehicles celebrated the repeal of the Trump administrations Muslim travel ban and called on President Joseph Biden to go further by raising the the immigrant refugee caps and grant citizenship to the 11 million immigrants in the United States. 

Representatives of at least a dozen immigrant rights organizations were present in the caravan, including CHIRLA 

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), Arab American Civic Council, a Korean immigrant rights organization, members of the Mobile Workers Alliance (LYFT, UBER, DoorDash, Instacart…), L.A. US hands Off Cuba Committee, YES to Immigrants Forward, Jews Against Fascism and SEIU local 721.

While there’s relief that there’s a new administration in the White House, organizers were keen on expressing solidarity and their aspirations for more protections of immigrant refugees. 

“We are on the frontlines challenging the band of Muslims and mobilizing support for their families,” said Ishraq Ali, who represents a national Muslim empowerment organization.  

Representing CHIRLA, as its Director of External Affairs, Polo Morales echoed Ali’s sentiments to the demonstration’s attendees. 

 Today is about solidarity among refugees and immigrants in this nation. We came together at LAX, which is the gateway to this country for many refugees, and we commemorated the suffering of thousands of families because of the past administration’s hateful policies,” Morales said. “We recognized that we cannot move forward if we do not move together, and we intend to stand up for each other until all of us have access to citizenship in this country.”

Lamba Najib of the Council of American Islamic Relations called for the Biden administration to close any loopholes that target immigrants or refugees.  

SEIU 721 with its 95,000 members was a key organizer of this demonstration.

Prior to the caravan circling LAX where thousands of immigrants work and enter into the country, SEIU  721 labor organizer, Felipe Caceres communicated the urgency of immediate action on behalf of undocumented immigrants. 

“We know undocumented workers are essential,” Caceres said. “For my whole life I’ve heard promises of immigration reform and been told to wait. We shall not wait any longer. We want legislation that gives citizenship to our families, the 11 million undocumented workers in this country.”

Carceres continued, saying the immigrant rights advocates won’t  stop fighting until undocumented workers have citizenship and are protected from the coronavirus with personal protective equipment. 

“We demand action by the Biden administration and will keep demonstrating till we get it,” Carceres said. “Never again will we criminalize our immigrants. We want citizenship status for all.”

Other groups echoed the reality that the Biden administration won’t have much of a honeymoon period.

“While we celebrate the end of the Muslim and African [travel] bans [and immigrant restrictions], it’s not lost on us that such a policy should never have existed in the first place. We will continue to be in solidarity with Muslim and African immigrants until they are reunited with their families and free from ICE prisons,” said the executive director of MPower Change, Linda Sarsour.  

CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush noted that repealing the Muslim and African ban was an important first step toward undoing the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant policies of the previous administration. 

“We will continue to advocate for the elimination of systemic injustices within the federal government that have resulted in the religious and racial profiling of Muslims and immigrants under past administrations,” Ayloush said.

CAIR-LA also welcomed the Biden administration’s move to preserve and fortify protections for DREAMers; inclusion of all persons — including the undocumented — in the U.S. census count; ordering the removal of barriers preventing minorities and underserved communities’ access to federal programs and institutions; and other impactful executive orders.”

“Hanin Sharif, with the Arab American Civic Council fellow, Hanin Sharif who was invited to speak, expressed pleasure at seeing the many local organizations that came out in show of support for Muslims, immigrants and others affected by the Trump Administration’s travel ban. 

“When we are able to stand by our brothers and sisters when they are attacked, we can accomplish great things,” Sharif said. “I am hopeful by using our collective power we are able to create a more humanitarian and empathetic future.”