Daniel Herrera Carbajal
ICT
Phoenix, Az. – Thousands of protestors gathered at the Arizona capitol building Jan. 30 to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity around the country.
The protest came amid a nationwide general strike against ICE which called for protestors to call off work, school and not to engage in any monetary transactions in show of solidarity.
Multiple restaurants and businesses in the Phoenix area closed their doors on Friday to show support for the protest.
“I’m increasing awareness about what’s happening in our country right now, targeting the marginalized,” Mary Helen Nuñez, Yaqui, a protestor, told ICT. “We have a basic human right to live in peace with a feeling of safety and security and what’s happening today is just crazy. It’s unprecedented in my lifetime. I’m 50 years old, and I never thought anything like this would ever happen.”
In January, federal authorities shot and killed Rene Good and Alex Pretti less than three weeks apart in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
One attendee of the protest who did not wish to be named for her safety who is Diné and Hopi said the presence of ICE has changed the way she lives.
“I have neighbors that have been terrorized by ICE. A few months ago DHS did come to my neighbor’s house and that’s what prompted me to start going to rapid response meetings and organizations so I can be better prepared because I myself was terrified when that happened,” she told ICT. When ICE was in our communities directly I stayed in. It was hard to go to work. It was hard to concentrate on school.”
Throughout the country many tribal citizens have been arrested or detained causing many tribal nations to issue statements to its citizens saying to carry their tribal identification cards.
In early January a Navajo man, Peter Yazzie was unlawfully detained by ICE agents in Peoria, Az. despite providing his certificate of Indian Blood, birth certificate and tribal ID.
“Everybody’s scared. People are getting their tribal IDs again, and I just applied to get mine updated so that it matches on my driver’s license because one has my mailing address, one has my physical,” Cody Makil, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community told ICT. “ICE detained a Navajo man even though he provided his tribal ID but they still said it was fake.”
The same day the protest took place ICE confirmed it bought a warehouse in Surprise, Az. to serve as a processing facility with approximately 1500 beds.
Monica Westover, White Mountain Apache, was at the protest and said despite her carrying her tribal ID, it won’t be enough to protect her.
“I carry my Tribal ID. I have my blood work and I still feel that that is not enough to protect me. This administration is not pretending anymore this is how America always was and now this time they don’t care to pretend,” Westover told ICT.