A coalition of community organizations, labor unions and immigrant rights groups began a daylong “community stoppage” at midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 12, an effort they say was designed to show the economic influence of immigrants on businesses they say have been complicit in a massive federal immigration crackdown that has blanketed Southern California since early June.
The coalition called on Los Angeles-area residents to participate in the 24-hour boycott, while rallying to opposing federal immigration enforcement operations and supporting local businesses and street vendors.
The community stoppage officially began at midnight on Tuesday with a fastfood workers strike. Then, organizers staged a “Community Takeover of MacArthur Park” at dawn, where a rally followed shortly after.
Organizers say the action is a continuation of the Summer of Resistance’s 30-day rapid response plan of resistance to the federal immigration raids that have swept through the city since June.
Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), said the stoppage is about reclaiming power, which also includes economic power.
“What we decided to do is ask our community to really focus on companies that are not respecting our rights, and on top of that list is Home Depot,” said Salas, whose coalition has urged the LA community to support the small businesses that are hurting.
Home Depot parking lots have been a flashpoint during the federal government’s crackdown, which, following up on President Donald Trump’s, has apprehended undocumented immigrants throughout the region.
The Trump administration’s goal has been to deport what officials call the “worst of the worst” undocumented immigrants, an action administration officials say is working. But caught up in the dragnet have been many people, albeit undocumented, who migrated to the U.S. to work. Advocates say most are not the hardened felons officials say they are. And they have been apprehended in Home Depot parking lots and an array of businesses often associated with immigrant labor.
Home Depot has been the site of several federal immigration raids in Southern California since June, in cities such as North Hollywood, Van Nuys and LA neighborhoods including Westlake and Huntington Park.
On Tuesday, community organizers called for boycotts of Home Depot, Target, Walmart, Stater Brothers #202 in Pasadena, McDonalds and Penske.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesperson for CHIRLA, said, “these corporations, whether implicitly or not, have allowed their facilities to be used as places where federal agents violated workers’ rights and have inflicted pain and terror in our community and families.”
A spokesperson for Home Depot said the company is not “involved in the operations,” and that they’re “required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where [they] operate.”
Organizers said the boycott was aimed at showing the economic influence of immigrant communities and to demand an end to ICE raids and the expansion of private detention centers.
“Home Depot thrives on having day laborers ready outside their buildings, outside their stores,” said Martin Manteca, a member of the California Gig Workers Union under SEIU 721. “For them to remain silent while ICE has chased some of the workers into their stores…it’s outrageous.”
The California Gig Workers Union/SEIU 721 office is located just down the street from the Home Depot where federal immigration officers conducted two raids in one day, involving a Penske Rental Truck in what became known as Operation Trojan Horse.
On Tuesday morning, attendees began trickling in from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. for the “Community Takeover of MacArthur Park” and rally.
Participating organizations included Unite Here Local 11, CHIRLA, California Fast Food Workers Union and The Garment Worker Center. Los Jornaleros del Norte gave a live performance to the approximately 600 rally attendees before a number of speeches from organizers.
Salas said organizers chose MacArthur Park as the site of the rally because it’s “the community’s park.”
“This is where our kids play, this is where we have summer theater and summer concerts. That is what this park is about, not about a show of force by agents that don’t care about our community.”
Last month, at least 100 federal officers and National Guard Troops, swept through MacArthur Park in armed vehicles and on horseback in what LA Mayor Karen Bass called “outrageous and un-American.
Rally attendees heard speeches from union organizers, community activists and government leaders such as LA City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez who represents District 1, which includes MacArthur Park. Then, attendees marched around the perimeter of MacArthur Park with signs saying “workers united for one fight” and “stop the raids.”
Elisa Valencia, a member of the labor union Unite Here Local 11 and employee at Flying Food Group, said she was participating in the stoppage because “we’re all immigrants and this is the way for us to speak up.” She hopes it shows that “we’re united and that this country is ours.”
A caravan of nearly 40 cars from MacArthur Park headed for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors office after the rally ended.
A gathering, art build and rally at Placita Olvera was set for later in the day, to conclude with a march to the federal detention center and vigil.
Staff writer Victoria Le contributed to this article.