Farmworkers Strike for Citizenship and End to ICE Raids

Farmworkers Announce National Labor Strike

• ✊ Farmworkers gathered at Placita Olvera to announce a national labor strike.
• ⚖️ They are demanding a path to citizenship and an end to ICE raids.

Concerns Over Continued ICE Activity

• 🚫 Despite a federal judge blocking indiscriminate immigration raids in Southern California, farmworkers report that federal agents continue to detain people.
• 📸 Photos from the organization Unbarrio show federal agents in Montabello detaining at least two individuals, one of whom may have had an old warrant.
• 🗣️ Farmworkers express that these actions must stop, highlighting the fear and terror these raids inflict on their communities and workplaces.

Legal Rulings and ICE Stance

• 🏛️ A federal judge in LA halted ICE raids, stating agents cannot indiscriminately arrest people without reasonable suspicion.
• 🚫 This means agents cannot stop individuals solely based on factors like apparent race or ethnicity, accent, presence in a particular location, or the type of work they do.
• 📈 However, the federal government has filed an appeal, with ICE asserting that officers do not need probable cause to briefly detain and question individuals, relying instead on the totality of circumstances.
• 😠 Farmworkers react with anger to this stance, feeling they are detained based on their skin color and that their essential work during COVID-19 is now being met with criminalization.

Agricultural Programs and Future Actions

• 🧑‍🌾 The H2A program allows foreign workers to work in US fields with an employer for a limited time, but it does not offer a path to citizenship.
• 📈 The need for this program has exploded, with positions increasing significantly, yet these workers are only present for a few months at a time.
• 🗓️ The announced strike is scheduled for Wednesday through Friday.
• 🛒 The impact on grocery stores is expected to be minimal initially, as most fruit will have already been shipped. However, if the strike grows, effects could be delayed until the following week.
• 📣 Organizers anticipate calls for more significant actions beyond just striking, potentially including boycotts of certain businesses.