A wave of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to sweep across the United States on March 15, 2024. The actions are in response to the recent killings of two individuals, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis. Organizers are calling for a “national shutdown,” urging individuals to refrain from work, school, and shopping as a form of protest. The campaign’s website states: “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.”
In Southern California, various businesses are preparing to participate in this planned shutdown. Proof Bakery, a worker-owned cooperative located in Atwater Village, is one such establishment closing its doors for the day. Daniela Diaz, a representative of the bakery, emphasized the importance of showing solidarity. “We’ve seen historically that strikes work… I hope the violence stops. I want ICE out of our communities,” she said. The bakery’s storefront displays signs reading “ICE out” in Spanish, along with a notice explaining the closure.
The atmosphere in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood with a predominantly Latino and immigrant population, has grown tense following a series of federal immigration operations. Community advocates reported that multiple individuals were detained by ICE agents during a recent operation. Claudia Mancia, a senior community organizer with the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network, recounted the detention of a well-known flower vendor. She stated, “A flower vendor that is very well known in our community got taken by ICE.”
According to the Centro Community Service Organization, more than six people were reportedly taken by federal agents in Boyle Heights, including local vendors and a father who was simply delivering food to his children at school. Mancia underscored the urgency of Friday’s actions, stating, “Tomorrow’s action is very important because we need to make an impact.”
Boyle Heights has long served as a stronghold for community organizing and activism. Mancia highlighted the resilience of community members in the face of fear. “We are not scared. Fear is not gonna drive us out of our communities,” she asserted. “If anything, we’re here to drive them out of our communities.”
As the protest date approaches, businesses and community members across the nation are increasingly vocal about their opposition to ICE’s practices. The national shutdown seeks to disrupt the status quo and amplify calls for systemic change regarding immigration enforcement policies. The actions on March 15 may serve as a pivotal moment for communities demanding justice and an end to what they describe as harmful federal operations.
