Young Kayla wasted no time when offered markers and a poster board after informing her we were fresh out of signs. The placard she crafted for the march was more poignant and far more profound than any of ours. It read: "Make it legal for my Daddy to come back with his family please."Kayla, like some 1,500 other marchers endured 90 degree heat to march on Saturday August 18th. Participants walked along Broadway Street to Los Angeles City Hall in an immigration rights event called by the March 25th Coalition. The event's demands included stop the raids and amnesty now. Many groups participated, including Emergency Response Network members who carried a blue banner inscribed "Alto A Las Redadas" (Stop The Raids). Lively chants accompanied marchers along their route, and speakers addressed the crowd at the end point rally.
Socialist Worker had an opportunity to interview Kayla's mother, Linda, regarding the story behind her daughter's placard.
"My husband was deported five months ago. He lived here for 36 years, he went to school here. We've been married 28 years, and have six children and seven grandchildren. Now that he is gone we are struggling. I just had my phone cut off. I can't pay my bills and one of my daughters is expecting."
Linda's story, like so many others, exposes how current immigration policy and I.C.E. raids break up families. We need to continue protesting and building organizations like the Emergency Response Network to prevent families from being separated.
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