Filipino community protests Trump, recent ICE raids in Oakland
OAKLAND, CA — “Disgrace.”
This is the word President Donald Trump used to describe Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s warning last month to undocumented immigrants about looming immigration raids.
On February 24th, Schaff posted this letter — notifying the San Francisco Bay Area that Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents were to begin operations within 24 hours.
Over 150 undocumented immigrants were detained following the operation.
The Filipino Advocates for Justice — or FAJ — a non-profit organization based in Oakland that advocates for undocumented immigrants have their own words for the president.
“Trump’s response is just blatant racism and xenophobia. It’s the same old dog whistle, coded language he’s using to stir up hate,” said FAJ’s Sammy Guiterrez.
Civic engagement coordinator Sammy Gutierrez says the American public is led to believe that ICE is only going after criminals, when in fact, there have been multiple deportations of undocumented immigrants with no criminal record — like Rey Galleon — who was believed to be the first Filipino deported under the trump administration in March 2017.
Galleon was a former crewman who jumped ship, and lived in Southern California illegally for 7 years.
With nowhere to go, his undocumented wife and two US citizen children eventually joined him in the Philippines.
“If we can humanize the faces of people getting detained or deported because often times they try to push the narrative of the criminal or the unjust or who deserves to be here. It shows what the community looks like. It shows the families being affected.”
Meanwhile, Schaaf continues to stand by her decision.
In an interview with ABC 7 KGO, she responds to the president by saying, “I am proud to live in a country where everyone can criticize elected officials.”
Soon DOJ will file charges against Mayor Libby Schaaf for Obstruction of Justice, 25 years jail time.She gave advance warning to illegal criminal alien on ICE raid. Some of our Filipino Kababayan should be reminded that Harboring-Keeping-allowing or hiding a criminal illegal alien in their house is a criminal offense. Trump arriving in California on Tuesday to start the construction of the border wall. He will announce also his program to clean California on illegal alien with criminal record..