Led by youths, protesters of all ages converged upon a Santa Maria corner Friday afternoon to show opposition to immigration enforcement raids, plus solidarity for the families affected by the detentions.
More than 300 people united in front of the Santa Maria City Hall, corner of South Broadway and East Cook Street, for the “La Marcha de la Puebla: Heroes Not Villains” rally, which included multiple speeches and periodic chants as others holding signs stood closer to traffic traveling along the streets.
“Immigrants don’t just support America, they power America,” speaker Gary Jeffery, 16, of Lompoc, said. “They plant and pick the food that we eat, they drive the trucks that move this country, and they build the homes and businesses that we depend on.
“America isn’t America without immigrants. America is America because of immigrants,” added Jeffery, who donned a business suit for the event.
The United States is known as a melting pot — a nation of many races, faiths and cultures, the teen said.
“But let’s be real. Now, more than ever, immigrants are being left out of that picture, targeted, detained and dehumanized, all for daring to chase the same dream that we call ours — the American Dream,” Jeffery added.
Friday’s action in Santa Maria occurred as more than 20 others also took place across the nation including on the East Coast, Central Coast resident Cesar Vasquez, the 17-year-old organizer, said.
“We have organizers across the United States who are here to defend our parents,” Vasquez said.
While promoting the upcoming protest, organizers remained mum about the second action until Friday afternoon — a march to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on West Century Street in Santa Maria.
“I want you to know … that at 1:45 we will march to the ICE office to stand for immigrants and show that they are heroes and not villains,” said Vasquez, who started a nonprofit, La Cultura Del Mundo.
Approximately 30 members of the group undertook a 3-mile trek, marching on the sidewalks while chanting as drivers passing by honked their horns.
At both locations, human-shaped black cutouts stood as silent witnesses to represent families separated by the immigration enforcement actions involving the detention of more than 360 people in the Santa Maria Valley.
At the rally, Vasquez introduced his team of organizers — as young as 12 and up to 20 years old.
“It’s because of all these amazing individuals that we are here today fighting for immigrants,” Vasquez said, adding they spent the summer organizing.
Yessenia Echevarria, district representative for Rep. Salud Carbajal, noted the role of immigrants who are neighbors, coworkers and family members.
“I want to start off with a truth that should not be controversial, yet here we are: Immigrants are not villains. They are heroes,” Echevarria said.
She said the congressman continues to work to create a fair path to citizenship.
“Continue to speak up. Continue to show up. Remember, silence is complacency and your voice matters and more than ever compassion matters. Let’s stand with our immigrant neighbors not just in words but in action,” Echevarria added.
Participants in Friday’s action came from multiple groups in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and included their own safety monitors, legal observers and medics for the action.
San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party leader Tom Fulks called the federal immigration action lacking due process an attack on the democracy.
“We are here to object and to protect and to respect,” Fulks said.