By F. Amanda Tugade, Des Moines Register
- Protests supporting immigrant rights occurred in Des Moines, Iowa, mirroring larger demonstrations across the U.S. against ICE deportation efforts.
- The Des Moines protest, organized by the Iowa chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, expressed solidarity with immigrants and criticized President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard.
- Personal stories from attendees highlighted the impact of immigration policies on families and communities.
More than 100 people gathered in downtown Des Moines to show support for immigrants’ rights as protesters more than 1,600 miles away in Los Angeles continue to rally against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s efforts to deport people without legal status.
As protests in California entered their fifth day on Tuesday, June 10, demonstrations have sprung up in major cities around the country in at least a dozen cities that included San Francisco, New York, Washington, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta.
The Iowa chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation held a small protest at Cowles Commons to show solidarity for immigrants and rally against President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell protesters.
“We’re here to stand up for members of our community. For immigrants. For migrants. For refugees. For people with disabilities. For people on Medicaid. For seniors. For all the working class, because we are all under attack right now,” said Jake Grobe, a community organizer who led the protest. “And Trump is trying to scapegoat immigrants and make them the enemy, calling them criminals.”
Cody Scanlan/The Register
Immigration raids in Los Angeles on the afternoon of June 6 sparked a small protest. The next day, larger protests began in the town of Paramount, south of Los Angeles, linked to rumors of a possible immigration raid.
Toward the evening on June 7, Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the area. That night, protesters threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at officers. Local police declared a small part of downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly area, and large numbers of protesters were cleared from the site.
Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for parts of downtown Los Angeles on June 10 following intense days of protests.
Demonstrators allege the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement has violated civil and human rights. The sweeping immigration efforts, a hallmark of Trump’s second term, has also caught up people legally residing in the country and led to legal challenges.
Protesters nationwide are expected to hold ‘No Kings’ rallies June 14, which coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday and come one week after the president mobilized the National Guard in Los Angeles.
Rallies, including in Des Moines, Ames and Iowa City, will precede a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
Back in Des Moines, Paulina Ocegueda drove with a friend from Ottumwa to the capital city to lend their support.
For Ocegueda, the fight was personal. She said it took years for her parents, who originally came from Mexico, to become U.S. citizens. She said she is proud to be Mexican-American but that it is tough to “represent the American side right now.”
“I want to make sure that all of the immigrants, not just Mexicans but people from Colombia, people from Haiti, people from Burmese communities, be represented here today,” she said.
Des Moines resident Wendy Espinoza felt similarly.
Espinoza, who attended the event with her two sisters, said they came to represent their parents, who came to the U.S. from Mexico for a better future. They wanted to “stick up for them” and for the many others “who don’t have a voice,” the 23-year-old said.
The group chanted “Power to the people. No one is illegal,” and “No justice, no peace. We want ICE off our streets.” Des Moines police were present but the rally stayed peaceful.
In the far back of the crowd, Julius De La Cruz, 24, stood next to his pregnant wife and listened to the speakers.
De La Cruz of Des Moines said he is frustrated.
“You got families that work their a– off, and all they do is just work their a– off for their family, for a better life, a future here, and then you get them taken away like that in the blink of an eye,” he said, referring to masked ICE agents who have been seen on video arresting migrants outside of court hearings and at businesses.
He hopes better for his child.
“I don’t want my kid to grow up and see all the hate,” he said. “I grew up around people who just showed nothing but love and positivity, who never judge people, never judge a book by its cover. I don’t want my kid to grow up around nothing but hate.”
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