Overview:
-Southwest Detroit protest pushes back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
-Organizer says political education, mutual aid, 'migra watch' strategies being used to support migrants.
-'People are not leaving their homes,' immigration paralegal tells Planet Detroit.
Daniel Mata waved a Mexican flag in one hand and an American flag in the other during a protest at Clark Park Tuesday, nearly a month after the detainment of his mother by border patrol agents.
Mata, an 18-year-old junior at Covenant High School Southwest, said he was in the car when agents pulled them over for apparent obstructed plates.
“At that moment, you feel like the world is on top of you. Your mind goes blank,” Mata said. “It’s not a joke. ICE and border patrol, they’re not going by the book anymore.”
A large crowd gathered and marched in Southwest Detroit Tuesday to protest heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the community, unify residents around protection strategies, and provide mutual aid resources. The demonstration was organized by the People’s Assembly, a new grassroots collective of over 26 Detroit-based immigration and human rights advocacy organizations.
The protest comes at a time when migrants can now be arrested at schools and churches after the Trump administration reversed guidance that for over a decade has protected those in sensitive locations.
Homeland security officials are pushing the Internal Revenue Service for roughly 700,000 immigrants’ addresses who are suspected to be living in the U.S. without legal permission, a request the tax agency has so far refused. Deportations have lagged, leaving 4,000 more people in detention facilities than when Trump first took office, according to The New York Times.
‘People are not leaving their homes’
Mata’s mother, who has legally resided in Southwest Detroit for decades, was detained for 10 days, her son said, adding that she helped organize the event and decided to stay home out of caution. Mata said he had nightmares while his mother was detained and would wake up crying and paranoid.
He said his generation decided to push beyond their fear and speak up for their parents’ rights. High school students from numerous Southwest Detroit schools, including Western International, Cristo Rey, and Hope of Detroit, participated in an early walkout demonstration, making up most of the crowd.
Nelson Garay, 27, an event organizer with the People’s Assembly, said the organization supports migrants’ protection with three main strategies: political education, mutual aid, and a “migra watch” – Spanish slang referring to ICE.
The People’s Assembly’s political education team spearheaded Tuesday’s protest and previous “Know Your Rights” trainings. Further legal resources can be found here. Garay said the team secures businesses’ commitment to deny service to ICE agents, and “make them feel as unwelcome as possible in our community.”
The mutual aid wing of the People’s Assembly coordinates and distributes daily necessities, such as groceries, clothing, or transportation – activities many residents are fearful of undertaking due to the risk of interaction with an ICE agent, Garay said. Those in need may fill out this form for assistance.
The migra watch team observes and documents ICE activity in the community, Garay said. They track where detentions or raids have occurred to create a map and keep residents informed. The group’s dedicated hotline number to report ICE actions via text or call is 313-635-3633, or by email at asamblea.detroit@protonmail.com.
Luz Solis, an immigration paralegal, spoke with Planet Detroit as she handed out legal resources to demonstrators. In her four years of experience, she said she’s never seen so many migrants asking for voluntary departure. This is a legal option in U.S. immigration law that allows a non-citizen facing deportation to leave the country within a specific time frame with the potential to reenter the U.S. legally in the future.
Solis’s neighbor made a voluntary departure after spending a month in her house out of fear of being detained, she said.
“People are not leaving their homes. And as far as physical health, there’s already limited benefits for immigrants,” Solis said. “People think that they’re freeloaders, and they’re not, so I assume that it’s even harder now.”
Rally highlights role of migrants in the community
One speaker at the demonstration spoke to the large crowd with a megaphone. She highlighted the migrant community’s contributions to daily life in the United States.
“Are you guys proud that your dad works in construction, at a restaurant? Are you guys proud that your mom cleans houses?” she said. “Yes,” the crowd responded.
Speaker Reyna Esquivel-King, assistant professor of Latin American history at Wayne State University, said the migrant community is also made up of educators, health care providers, scientists, and innovators who contribute significantly to various sectors of society.
“Our presence enriches this country in countless ways, and it is crucial that this group is recognized and respected,” Esquivel-King said.
She called on educators and organizations that work with the immigrant community to deepen their understanding of the culture, struggles, and aspirations.
“It’s not simply enough to teach or provide services. We navigate new languages, unfamiliar systems and often face discrimination,” Esquivel-King said.
“We must build genuine connections based on empathy and mutual respect for our immigrant students and families.”
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to state that Daniel Mata is a junior at Covenant High School Southwest and that “migra” is slang for ICE.
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