Santa Barbara businesses and community members raised more than $30,000 for local nonprofit 805UndocuFund on Jan. 30.
“Very remarkable,” Primitiva Hernandez, executive director of 805UndocuFund, said in an email.
The national movement called for a one-day strike, urging people to stay home from work, school or shopping as a form of protests after federal agents in Minnesota killing U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in late January.
That same day, community members took to the streets to protest the Trump administration and recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
Just days before the strike, a woman had been pepper-sprayed in Santa Barbara’s Eastside neighborhood by a masked federal agent.
Hundreds of local students walked out of their classes and marched to City Hall and the courthouse.
At the same time, hundreds of community members protested by Leadbetter Beach.
Dozens of businesses across the county closed in solidarity with the strike and to protest ICE activity. However, others remained open, pledging to donate a portion of the day’s proceeds to 805UndocuFund.
Chaucer’s Books kept its doors open that Friday pledging to donate 20% of that day’s proceeds to 805UndocuFund.
The bookstore raised $2,800, according to co-owner Jen Lemberger.
“We’ve done several daylong fundraisers, but those are usually 10% of sales from the full day, and we wanted a bigger impact to be given,” she said.
She added that several customers told her they came in specifically because they wanted their purchase to support the immigrant activist nonprofit organization.
The bookstore was one of more than 50 local businesses that held fundraisers.
Asian restaurant Secret Bao also donated $1,000, 10% of the day’s proceeds.
“I am Mexican-Cuban, and it felt like something we needed to do. It was a long time coming,” co-owner and chef Felicia Medina said.
She said the decision to stay open during the strike was meant to support the employees.
“Working so long in the industry, you get to know these people like your family,” she said. “You know about their families back in Mexico that they can’t necessarily be with because they are here trying to send them money.”
She added that she was pleasantly surprised seeing how many other local businesses were doing the same.