Marching for a Change
- The Shamrock
- Mar 8
- 2 min read
By Leah Castañeda, News Editor and Charlie Gonzalez, Staff Reporter
On Feb. 2, thousands of people gathered in downtown Los Angeles to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, calling for an end to mass deportations. The protest, which blocked streets and the 101 freeway for hours, grew out of anger over the increase in ICE raids and the interference of immigrant families.
“At first it seemed that ICE would help the communities but it would reach a certain point where it began to harm the communities,” freshman Damian Arambula said.
The protest began at Los Angeles City Hall and increased, with many waving the Mexican flag and holding signs, some labeled “We are a nation of immigrants” and “Immigrants built this country.” Local police directed the traffic and led cars away from the protest, while the protestors continued their march.
As the protest continued, people acknowledged how immigrants helped the country socially and economically.
“This is hurting families, but it’s also hurting important parts of our economy,” senior Jose Bravo said. “We Latinos, in certain work areas that require greater effort and that are very important, are the only ones who work more.”
Protestors also brought up issues of the separation of families, a consequence of Trump’s new policy on immigration enforcement.
“I have family who are scared to go outside, even though they’re here legally. They fear being stereotyped and taken away from their families,” senior Maribel Guzman said. “I hope that people with a negative attitude towards immigrants realize how much immigrants contribute to this country.”
As protests continue, some think it's good to speak out about immigration, while other people feel that it's causing too many disruptions. The protesters, whether they want to stop deportations or show how important immigrants are, made it clear that this issue is still not settled and affects many people.
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