They don鈥檛 want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raiding their neighbor鈥檚 homes, so they rallied on a sweltering Saturday afternoon to speak up and show their support for those who are fearful of possible ICE raids in the District.
According to tweets from President Donald Trump, mass deportations could begin countrywide after Independence Day.
Claudia Quinonez of United We Dream鈥檚 local chapter joined a growing crowd who gathered at the fountain along 14th Street and Park Road, NW in Columbia Heights to say they want no part of that in the city. Quinonez told 海角精品黑料 the rally is to show 鈥渟olidarity for those communities that are going to be impacted by possible raids here in D.C.鈥�
Demonstrators said they want ICE to stop raiding homes in the city.
鈥淭he reality is that ICE is coming into our community all the time and tearing apart families,鈥� aid Ben Beachy of Sanctuary DMV.
鈥淛ust last week, they came into businesses in Columbia Heights, in Adams Morgan. They ended up detaining two of our neighbors,鈥� Beachy said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e calling on our elected D.C. officials to stand up and make D.C. a true sanctuary city. That means stopping the practice of the D.C. Jail simply handing over our neighbors to ICE.”
海角精品黑料 has reached out to Mayor Muriel Bowser鈥檚 office for comment.
Bowser has declared that the District is a sanctuary city. Bowser reaffirmed that . And D.C. police said via social media that their officers are prohibited from asking about residency and immigration status.
But some at the rally said there鈥檚 more the city can do.
鈥淏uilding that trust and hearing the community perspective, to learn from the community and in that way, respond to the needs of the community,鈥� is one way, said Omar Angel Perez of the Congregation Action Network, an multifaith organization that helps provide physical sanctuary to those facing deportation.
At first, the crowd at the fountain had gaps, but after awhile, even in the heat, the numbers thickened before a march toward Adams Morgan.
鈥淲hat you鈥檙e seeing here are the neighbors that they鈥檙e saying they won鈥檛 tolerate the federal government鈥檚 policies 鈥� Trump鈥檚 policies of fear, of oppression,鈥� said Abel Nunez of the Central American Resource Center.
