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We know readers often come to Cup of Jo for a pick-me-up. But we are following what\u2019s happening in L.A., and spreading across the country \u2014 and we imagine you may be, too \u2014\u00a0and it feels important to talk about. Here\u2019s what\u2019s going on and how to help\u2026<\/p>\n
What\u2019s happening in L.A. right now?<\/strong> Why are some immigrants undocumented?<\/strong> There are 2.1 million people currently awaiting a decision on their asylum claims. Some people were allowed into the U.S. for humanitarian or national security reasons or because it would be unsafe for them to return home. Some people were legally admitted to the country on temporary tourist, student or work visas but then overstayed the allowed time period.<\/p>\n Specifically, many people crossing the border are seeking asylum from gang violence in Central America. \u201cBoys as young as eight years old are forced into the gangs. If they or their parents refuse, they are murdered. Young girls are forced to become the property of gang members and treated as sex slaves. If they or their families refuse, they are murdered. The police are unable to help\u2026 Parents are fleeing and bringing their children here to rescue them from rape and murder,\u201d says Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch<\/a>, an immigration lawyer in Austin.<\/p>\n Why are people so upset about these new workplace raids in L.A. and across the country?<\/strong> What has the L.A. mayor said?<\/strong> Is it okay to protest these raids or other things the government does?<\/strong> How is Trump responding to the protests in L.A.?<\/strong>
Since Friday, crowds in L.A. have been protesting the Trump administration\u2019s new large-scale raids of workplaces, like Home Depot, where federal agents search for undocumented people.<\/p>\n
Most immigrants are in the U.S. legally. But some are undocumented<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Trump has vowed to crack down hard on immigration, including with mass deportations. ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has tripled their daily arrest targets<\/a> and is now detaining people in workplaces, at day-labor gathering spots, on the streets, and even at their court hearings<\/a>. In the last few months, ICE has deported people without due process<\/a> and held people in detention centers<\/a>, often with reported abuse and inhumane conditions<\/a>. ICE has grabbed people off the street<\/a> without showing badges and smashed car windows<\/a> without showing warrants. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection also repealed several rules granting protections to pregnant women, postpartum women, and infants within the migrant detention system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you\u2019re not trying to keep anyone safe \u2014 you\u2019re trying to cause fear and panic,\u201d said mayor Karen Bass.<\/p>\n
Absolutely. An essential part of living in a democracy \u2014\u00a0versus an authoritarian country \u2014 is that citizens are allowed to protest and speak out. \u201cVery often, protest is the only way minority voices can be heard,\u201d writes Stephen Jones<\/a>, Ph.D., a Harvard professor. \u201cProtest is at the core of democratic consciousness, which is why authoritarian governments contain them, condemn them, or repress them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although people have the right to protest, Trump quickly deployed 4,700 National Guard troops and Marines to the L.A. area \u2014 without the authorization of the state\u2019s governor, Gavin Newsom, who normally has command of the California National Guard. Officers, wearing masks and bulletproof vests,\u00a0are armed with pepper spray, rubber bullets, batons, tear gas, and flash-bang grenades.<\/p>\n