Outrage in Virginia as ICE Raids Target Immigrant Families

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Immigrant organization CASA condemns the recent ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids that are tearing apart immigrant families and communities across Northern Virginia. The fear and trauma these families are enduring are simply unbearable, and CASA stands firm in its opposition to these unjust actions.

Eduardo Zelaya, Director of Virginia Organizing for CASA, issued the following statement:

“ICE, accompanied by various units of the federal government, have flooded into neighborhoods armed in tactical gear. This is the latest in a series of escalating discriminatory attacks made to persecute and isolate immigrants. This fear mongering is purposely meant to take away our power and make it socially acceptable for hateful policies against us as Black and brown people. While the government argues they are focused on specific targets, this is really just whitewashing their goal of eradicating immigrant communities from Virginia and beyond.

“Informing themselves of their rights, immigrants are recruiting and organizing others into an energetic movement against the tactics of this discriminatory ideology that has pervaded our country’s leadership. Our movement network is growing, well aware of how the Trump administration seeks to steal away our humanity.

“During these moments of division, we as CASA in Action are firm in our mission of working together to resist these divisive community attacks. Immigrant communities are critical to our country, with their economic and cultural contributions irreplaceable. This impacts the economy, which Republican elected officials ignore and try to hide. Working-class immigrants are not reporting to their job sites. Americans can expect essential industries to be on life support, with landscaping, construction, restaurant, custodial, healthcare, home renovations, agricultural, hospitality, and professional and business services whittled away from its labor force. With children unable to go to class, students’ futures are being stolen. CASA stands ready to respond to the civil rights violations both now and for the next four years.”

With over 173,000 lifetime members across 46 US states, CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA creates change with its power building model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members. www.wearecasa.org