CHARLOTTE — Protestors organized in Charlotte on Monday to speak out against immigration enforcement and demand the release of a union president who was arrested in Los Angeles.
Some of the workers who showed up for a rally outside of the Mecklenburg County Government Center said ICE raids are affecting their coworkers, like people who clean planes at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport or help supply local grocery stores.
“What we’re seeing right now is scary, and it should scare all of us, but most importantly, it should motivate you to take action,” said Stefania Arteaga with the Carolina Migrant Network.
“If someone watching this has gone to the grocery store, you have touched the work of an immigrant,” said Jacob Plitman, with the local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU.
SEIU organized Monday’s protest in Charlotte after David Huerta, the president of SEIU’s California chapter, was arrested during a protest.
“It’s an attack on fundamental human rights, and I think watching the president of a union be hauled away is a perfect example of the complete disregard this administration has for the dignity of workers and the dignity of all people in the U.S.,” Plitman said.
President Donald Trump has taken a hard stance on the protestors, saying: “The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators. They’re insurrectionists. They’re bad people. They should be in jail.”
For protestors like Plitman, this isn’t just about immigrants who may be in the U.S. illegally.
“The administration has made it clear that even if you’re someone who works a full day, that is contributing to society, people that came here to build a life – they’ve made it clear that none of that earns their respect," he said.
The protestors said what they do next depends on how the administration responds.
(VIDEO: Crickets released in protest disrupt Mecklenburg County Commission meeting)
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