JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two protests were held Sunday, hours apart, by different groups. But both with the same goal; speak out against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
The first protest had over 100 people from different communities, gathered in the Pine Forest neighborhood.
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It was organized by the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance (JIRA).
The large crowd was filled with allies making it known they’re against Trump’s immigration policy that calls for the mass deportation of anyone in the country illegally.
The Associated Press said the Trump administration is allowing officers to arrest migrants at places like schools and churches.
Organizers at the rally said it’s unjust.
“Immigrants have been the backbone of this country,” Monica Martinez, a member of JIRA said. “We are community members, we are workers, we are educators, we are always contributing to our community, so we shouldn’t have mass deportations, instead there should be some type of immigrant reform.”
The group said they hope to have more events showing the people’s solidarity and what uniting as a community can mean.
All of this comes a few days after Governor Ron DeSantis announced an agreement with the Florida Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security that allows FHP troopers to “arrest and detain aliens attempting to unlawfully enter the United States.”
This agreement makes Florida one of the first states to fully integrate state troopers into federal immigration efforts.
The second protest happened hours later in front of Friendship fountain.
Indira Moran, a community activist said she helped organize that event.
She said they wanted to gather people to pray to stop the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants.
“We are not here to make anybody’s lives hard to live we are here to make this beautiful, our adopted country better,” Moran said.
She said the last few weeks have been scary for people in the immigrant community, and she hopes this event changes the minds of those outside of her community.
“Hopefully those who are not thinking very highly of us immigrants will have a better opinion of who we are.”
