Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, has condemned the presence of ICE agents in Pasadena, California, and called for peaceful protests to protect vulnerable immigrant communities.
Activist who called for protests over ICE raid reacts to violent escalation
“I happen to live in Pasadena, nearby the area that was impacted by the Eaton fires, and this morning, we were notified that there were ICE agents lodging at AC Hotel, a local hotel,” Alvarado told CNN’s Rosemary Church on Sunday night.
“The community began coming to protest the presence of those ICE agents who had already questioned the workers who clean the rooms of the hotel.”
Alvarado described a groundswell of support from residents, saying people from “all walks of life” stood with the workers to demand ICE agents leave the city.
“Our communities have witnessed families being torn apart — mothers, sons, daughters, grandfathers, children are being detained. ICE agents are going to Home Depot to pick people up.”
The protests, which drew large crowds, delivered a clear message, according to Alvarado. “We don’t want to see your armored vehicles, men in masks come into our communities to pick people up, to rip families apart. The message was loud and clear: This is the moment we need to protest peacefully.”
Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo condemned federal immigration actions, calling them “un-American, immoral, and wrong,” vowing to protect immigrant communities from family separations. Gordo confirmed the presence of federal agents in the city but added that they were not there for enforcement purposes.
“That’s part of the fear that’s being instilled by the [Trump] administration,” Gordo told CNN’s Brian Abel. “It’s wrong for people to live in fear … in their own homes, in their own communities.”
While Alvarado acknowledged the justified anger among protesters, he urged nonviolence.
“The anger is justifiable. The violence, in my view, is not,” he said. “Every time that there is violence, the most vulnerable communities pay the price.
“We are asking people of good conscience — people who believe that immigrants are part of the social fabric (and economy) of our communities to come out … and protect those who are in vulnerable circumstances, peacefully.”
