Santa Ana demands hands off TPS

[People on the steps of the Santa Ana Federal building protesting the end of TPS for Haitians. ]

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 9, community members gathered in front of the Santa Ana Federal Building to demand Trump stop his attacks on Haitian immigrants. This protest was a response to a call to action from the Legalization 4 All Network to resist Trump’s racist attack on Haitian immigrants with the ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.

The rally started with the chant os “Defend TPS! Defend TPS!” by Jay Perez from the immigration committee of the Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC).

“TPS once protected roughly 3 million people providing lifesaving protection from deportations and the ability to work and provide for their families. Since then, Trump’s regime has slowly gutted these protections, country by country: Honduras, Venezuela, now Haiti,” Perez continued.

“With the Supreme Court ruling, over 300,000 Haitians have lost their protected status overnight. This attack on TPS is an act of violence against our immigrant community and we will stand up and fight back! This administration is using every means at its disposal to ramp up its deportation machine and the Haitian community is now on the front lines of family separation and deadly deportations. We must show up for our neighbors!” Perez stated.

Diana Terreros of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) took the mic, “The termination of TPS is happening after Trump and Vance made disgusting racist comments about Haitian immigrants eating neighborhood pets in Ohio during their campaign that resulted in harassment and threats. It also comes after the U.S. has intervened in Haiti in an attempt to control their politics and economy for more than a century.”

“As a communist, I know that these destabilizing attacks will continue to happen under capitalism. That’s why I’m in FRSO, fighting to bring socialism forward every day. Whether you are a Chicana whose parents are at risk of deportation or a Haitian immigrant being forced to wear an ankle monitor, our enemy is the same and we must unite to fight against them!” Terreros concluded.

“Hands off TPS! Let Haitians stay!” chanted the protesters as they faced the federal building.

“We saw during the Biden administration, Haitians were whipped by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent while crossing a river to get to Texas. This was under Biden, and now things are worse. We are seeing how both sides of the ruling class function the same way in oppressing the colonized people of the world,” stated Paulo Cruzalgui of the Latin American Committee of the Hands off Uhuru! Hands off Africa! Fightback coalition.

Community members were encouraged to speak on the immigration organizing they do in Santa Ana. Joellez Lopez from CSO OC said, “Through CSO I have been exposed to the barrio walks. We go into the community, we educate people on how to identify ICE, give out resources, and also hear from them. We have been able to work closely with the Coach Royal residents who have been facing racist harassment from Kingsley management.”

“Let’s continue the work and let Santa Ana hear us! ICE out of OC! Hands off TPS!” stated Lopez.

This protest was organized by Community Service Organization Orange County alongside other community organizations. If you’d like to learn more or get involved with CSO OC. You can contact them on Instagram on CSO.OC or by phone at 714-367-6350.

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