By MADO BLACK and INNES COREA
On June 9 at 1:30 p.m., hundreds came out to Boston City Hall to rally with Boston-area SEIU locals. The rally was collectively called for by SEIU Locals 509, 32BJ, 1199, and 88, and synchronized rallies sponsored by SEIU locals across the country (see The Guardian). The rally brought together many Boston unions and locals to fight for California SEIU leader David Huerta to be freed.
David Huerta, the SEIU California State Council and SEIU-United Service Workers West president, was arrested in Los Angeles on June 6 for protesting immigration raids. He was briefly hospitalized with a head injury before being taken into custody, where he was charged with “one count of conspiracy to impede an officer,” according to The New York Times.
The crowd, united by chats of “Free David Huerta” and “All for one, one for all, free David, free them all.” included members and retirees from many Boston unions—such as UNITE HERE Local 26, Boston Teachers’ Union, AFSCME, and Teamsters Local 25. The crowd and speakers made it clear that they were not there just on behalf of Huerta but all immigrants. SEIU 509 President David Foley said, “Today we’re here not just to free David, but to end ICE raids everywhere!”
This was echoed by signs within the crowd. A local resident and retired member of Teamster Local 25 was quoted as stating, “My union was founded by immigrants … [but] our folks [haven’t] always held out the welcome mat for others, and I think that’s a problem with a lot of people. We have to understand that we’re connected and … we have to welcome people.”
In Massachusetts, ICE abductions have already started happening, ripping apart families and terrorizing neighborhoods. Recently and particularly notable was the arrest of a high school athlete, Marcelo Gomez De Silva, on his way to volleyball practice in Milford. The Milford community immediately mobilized to defend Marcelo, and he was released six days later. With the threat of more ICE raids happening across the country, we must be prepared to defend our communities.
At the Monday rally, additional calls were made for “the labor and immigrant rights movement[s] … to be ready to mobilize here in Boston” by SEIU 1199 Executive Vice President Cari Medina. She said in her speech that “these military style ICE raids are nothing short of a coordinated campaign of fear and intimidation … to silence workers, to crush organizing, and scare immigrants into the shadows.” Her accurate analysis of the moment was met with cheers and chanting.
The working class must continue to mobilize throughout the country. Mass, peaceful, and legal protests must be built in order to be accessible to workers at large. The movement must continue to focus on the connection between immigrant oppression and the oppression and exploitation of the entire working class—along with other struggles, such as the struggle for trans liberation.
David Huerta was freed later in the day on Monday, but he still faces absurd federal charges. We must also continue to call for the release of all detained individuals back to their families and returned from the CECOT prison in El Salvador. We also need to form rapid response networks to support our communities when ICE comes to town. Mass-action-oriented organizing is necessary to protect our friends, our family members, and our neighbors.
The working class and immigrants must not allow themselves to be intimidated by Trump’s draconian measures. They must not allow themselves to be pushed into the shadows. We must be visible and we must be proud!
End the military occupation of L.A.! Abolish ICE!
Photo: Robin Lubbock / WBUR