Demand release of Zapotec workers who say they were kidnapped by ICE

Next to one of the warehouses of the Ambiance Apparel company where last Friday several workers of the Zapotec indigenous community were detained by immigration agents, their grieving relatives and religious groups that support them, denounced what they call kidnapping of their relatives because 4 days after their arrest they still do not know where they are being detained and the charges that are being made against their relatives. Monserrat is a university student daughter of José Abasola.

“I am here today because on Friday, June 6, my father was one of the workers who was kidnapped by AIS. What happened that day was not right, it was not legal. In this country we all have the right to due process and that right was denied to my father and many other workers. He is the breadwinner of our family, our support, especially for my younger siblings and me. My father is part of this community. We demand the immediate release of all workers detained that day.”

Next, Yurien, lamented the kidnapping of his father Mario Romero.

“Me and my siblings. Between the ages of four months and 20 years old, we need my dad back with us, especially my four-year-old brother who has a disability and cannot communicate with us. He suffers from autism and he needs your special care. He asks us about his dad. He tells us I want daddy. What happened that day was a very traumatic experience, like seeing your dad chained at the waist, hands and feet and not being able to do anything.”

For his part, Geronimo, the son of Lazaro Maldonado, called for unity in his community to achieve the release of the detainees.

“Who was kidnapped by the ICE department. Since that moment we don’t know anything. I just want to tell them that we as an indigenous Zapotec community, that we are united, we are stronger”.

In addition, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Isabel Jurado arrived to support their demands.

“We are back on hard working people who sustain this city”.

Pastor Jaime Eduardo of a Methodist church in Hollywood also criticized the raid.

“This is not just about immigration. What we have been witnessing in our communities, in our communities, are signs of growing authoritarianism. But we are not afraid and we will not give up. And we will not allow this administration to normalize cruelty or silence our resistance.”

To end the press conference Perla Rios, Zapotec leader, highlighted some of their demands but the main one was the release of all those detained.

“Free all the workers now! Legal representation and due process.”

On the other hand, during the raid on Friday, June 6 at the same site, federal agents detained union leader David Huerta, for allegedly obstructing the passage of ICE agents. Several thousand demanded his release, which he got this Monday after paying a $50,000 bail. This he said when he was released.

“We can change. We can change what is happening, but we have to organize. And I want to be clear, comrades, this is not going to change with violence. The only way to be change is without violence. We have to remind ourselves of what Martin Luther King, Gandhi, what Cesar Chavez, Mother Teresa, Dolores Huerta did.”

This special report from Los Angeles, Ruben Tapia.