Thursday morning, a broad coalition of immigrant rights, faith, and legal organizations held a rally and press conference outside Los Angeles City Hall to share post-election analysis, reactions, and plans to move forward. Community leaders and activists who spoke stressed a need for unity and camaraderie among advocates during these uncertain times.
Among them was Nana Gyamfi, executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, who sang an African American freedom song as she walked up to the stage -- to recognize the connection between the Black civil rights struggle and immigrant rights, she said.
Gyamfi emphasized that before the Trump administration takes power in January, there is still time for the Biden administration to enact changes to protect immigrants.
“We have not forgotten,” she said, addressing Biden, “you promised to close down detention prisons, close down all these darn detention prisons all over the country. You can do that between now and the next administration. It’s got 70-some days to get it done.”
Also in attendance was Pedro Trujillo, director of organizing for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
“I want us to feel like there’s solidarity amongst communities, not just immigrants, so that folks have a sense of security by January 20th of next year,” he said.
Trujillo said that the Trump administration has become emboldened since 2016. Coupled with the experience the administration gained in its first four years, you get an “openly racist, anti-immigrant administration,” he said.
Like other leaders present, Trujillo said immigrant communities still have the support of local government and NGOs.
Amid chants from the crowd, the event MC reminded the audience that eight years ago, immigrant communities did not take the stringent policies of the Trump administration sitting down: “We got up, we got organized, we fought back, we made a lot of gains in California... we need to make many many more.”