Standing with our Community
Written by Eli Lipmen
June 10, 2025
As a civic organization, we stand with Angelenos being harmed by immigration raids in our communities. We work alongside immigrants who believe we all deserve cleaner air, better public transit, more affordable housing, and sustainable infrastructure from water to parks to power. And we stand alongside them today to say: “ICE OUT OF LA!”
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Over the past few days, we have witnessed shocking and terrifying incidents of violence as ICE agents rip families apart, forcibly remove workers, and criminalize community members. Friday should have been a day of celebration on the opening of Metro’s newest station at LAX—a tremendous accomplishment that begins a new age for public transportation in Los Angeles. Instead, it ended with raids, arrests, threats, and the deployment of the National Guard. Los Angeles County is home to more than three million immigrants—nearly one-third of all Angelenos who serve as the backbone of our economy. One of our leaders fighting for immigrant families is David Huerta, President of SEIU-USWW, who was arrested for standing up to Federal agents and defending our neighbors. He was arraigned yesterday in Federal court. I stood peacefully alongside organizers from our community partners—the United to House LA Coalition, LAANE, CHIRLA, the LA Federation of Labor, the Building Trades, UTLA, SEIU, UNITE HERE, and thousands of others calling for his release. It was a show of unwavering unity, solidarity, and compassion for working people and immigrants who are being terrorized and threatened as we speak. These community members are also public transit riders who depend on our transit system and, we cannot forget, kept us alive during the pandemic. |
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Photo Courtesy of SEIU 721 - Victor Hugo Cuevas - June 9, 2025 |
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They are the very workers who construct, operate, maintain, clean, and keep our transportation systems safe. They are the Move LA staff, who mobilized early yesterday morning when ICE was sweeping up neighbors down the street, rushing to the aid of distraught families. They are us, and we are them. A community of immigrants, part of our larger movement who want cleaner air, better public transit, more affordable housing, and sustainable infrastructure from water to parks to power. If you are like me and want to do something, here is what you can do:
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