by David Lau
On Tuesday September 5, Trump declared the Obama-era program for younger immigrants, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) over. In response activists and labor called several rallies across the country to support immigrant youth.
In our region, actions popped off in Watsonville, Monterey, Salinas, and downtown Santa Cruz, where a spirited crowd of one hundred or so people took part. I was there along with CCFT adjunct chair Katie Woolsey and CCFT director Maya Bendotoff. There were others from labor and several local political groups, including the Santa Cruz chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
The rallies were a sign that Trump’s most egregious actions would not be met with silence. The protest chants were well-voiced and memorable: “No borders, no nations, stop the deportations”; “From Palestine to Mexico, every wall has got to go”; and “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here.”
