SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio residents gathered on Friday evening to protest federal immigration enforcement policies.
The protest took place at the corner of Southwest Military Drive and Zarzamora Street. Protesters marched through the intersection, chanting after speeches opposing mass deportation.
“This nation is under distress,” Tony Mandujano said.
Mandujano is the League of United Latin American Citizens State Rep for Veterans and is retired from the Army after serving 20 years.
“We see what’s been going on [with] ICE deportations and how the federal government’s been cracking down on families, on workers,” Mandujano said.
The event, organized by the San Antonio branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, aims to oppose recent increases in deportation efforts and immigration raids.
“My community voices that it feels threatened by presence of secret police, that they’re scared to work, they’re scared to send their kids to school,” Joseph Montellano said.
Several people addressed the video of a mother being detained after an immigration hearing in San Antonio while crying and holding her child. That incident happened at the end of May but remains a focal point for people against mass deportations.
“To hear kids crying in the videos and begging somebody help them somebody open the door, that’s nonsense that America would continue to go back on history and repeat itself again,” Cheryl Gonzales said.
In recent months, several protests have taken place in downtown San Antonio in response to recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests, and policies of the Trump administration.
On July 2, multiple employees at a North Side seafood market were detained by ICE. At the same time, San Antonio police provided perimeter security under a state mandate, according to a source and a city memo obtained by KSAT.
Moving forward, the common goals were to see change in immigration policies and have faith in humanity.
“I think that democrats and republicans need to come together and come up with a solution, a better solution than they have in the past,” Gonzales said.
“My goal is to show the South Side community that we are not afraid,” Montellano said. “When we gather together, we are stronger, we’re more dedicated. We have the power and the dedication to protect our community from violations to our constitutional rights.”
LULAC will organize a peaceful protest titled “Rise up for Democracy” from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 12, at Milan Park, 500 W. Commerce St.
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