All across the country people went out on a Father’s day to fight for immigrants rights. So did our friends from Tampa, Florida, with nearly two dozen people gathering there June 19 at La Mexicana Bakery to demand an end to deportations and legalization for all. Community members and activist alike were represented in the crowd. Among the groups present were Raices en Tampa, Students for a Democratic Society, Committee to Stop FBI Repression and others.
Protesters gathered and held signs visible to traffic headed down Fletcher Avenue during rush hour. Many signs read “Not one more deportation,” “Legalization for all now,” “No human is illegal,” and “Drivers licenses for all now.”
Speakers drew connections to the discriminatory deportation practices now being implemented in the Dominican Republic and how these practices have already existed in the U.S. for quite some time. Speakers from the community brought up the fact that they have seen first hand how deportations separate families, an important aspect to Father’s Day in immigrant communities.
Recently, President Obama’s executive action to extend DACA to the parents of citizens, known as DAPA, has been delayed due to a lawsuit on behalf of 26 states, including Florida.
”Raices en Tampa demands a stop to deportations. Thousands of families are separated each day. While the president extended DACA, DAPA is being delayed. We are here demanding legalization for all! We need to stop living in fear! Keep families together!” said Alicia Argenal with Raices en Tampa.
The group plans to keep fighting in the community and city hall to get the drivers licenses immigrants deserve like any other workers, and to keep demanding “Legalization for all.”
Daisy Garcia with Raices stated, “Over 2 million deportations of fathers, mothers, sons and daughters since Obama took office. Families are being separated and are left suffering with the void of their relatives, spouses and children. Today we stand and demand not one more deportation! We demand that Obama give legalization now!”