Last night, around 500 people gathered in East Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza to protest the Trump administration’s increased ICE raids and show solidarity with local immigrant communities.

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The interfaith vigil included prayers, cumbia music performances and speeches from union leaders, faith leaders and members of immigrant-serving community organizations. Several speakers urged people to report ICE sightings and arrests to Alameda County’s hotline. Local officials denounced recent ICE actions in Los Angeles and vowed to keep Oakland a sanctuary city, including Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas.

“Facing federal immigration raids, the Bay Area and Los Angeles are united,” Lee said. “When any community is threatened, we all respond with compassion, with strength and with action.”

Lee added that 27% of Oakland’s residents are foreign-born and more than 50 languages are spoken at home by Oakland Unified School District students.

“Oakland immigrants sustain our hospitals, educate our children and power our local businesses,” she said. “We remain, your city remains committed to protecting our immigrant neighbors. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”

El Tímpano captured the event in photos and spoke with participants about what motivated them to show up.

The evening’s program included several performances of cumbia music and drumming from local musicians. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano

I’m here to support because we’re a community, and the situation with immigration is difficult right now. Social media is publishing things saying that [ICE] is coming to San Jose, Hayward, and San Francisco, and so we’re all panicking. The mayor was here with us [today], and we hope she’ll defend us, that [Oakland] will be a sanctuary city.

Maria, Oakland
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas both spoke during the program. “I was born in a border town in an immigrant community in El Paso, Texas,” Lee shared. “And I want you to know that here in Oakland, California, we stand firmly with our Los Angeles brothers and sisters.” Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Demonstrators carried candles and handmade signs emphasizing unity and reaffirming Oakland’s commitment to remaining a sanctuary city. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano

[I’m here] for the injustice that’s going on, for the hate that this so-called President is doing to our people. Not just the Hispanics, but everyone. They’re heartless to do what they’re doing and it’s wrong.

Maritza, Oakland
Edwin Calmo Ramirez, a member of the Oakland youth justice organization Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ) spoke about the importance of supporting immigrants, including Oakland’s Mayan community. He delivered part of his speech in Mam, an indigenous Mayan language spoken by thousands in the city. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Demonstrators handed out fliers and wallet-sized “red cards” containing Know Your Rights information to help immigrants assert their legal rights if approached by immigration enforcement. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano

I’m here to support us as a community, because I’m also in the same situation. I’m not yet a legal resident, so to speak, I’m in the process. Even if I had the papers, I would always support my community because we’ve all been through this same situation, and it’s very painful when families are separated from their children. That’s why I’m here.

Judith, Oakland
Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Local faith leaders led a prayer for those detained by ICE and for their families. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano

My grandparents, they came here [from Mexico], but I’m second gen and I understand my privilege being able to not have to be afraid every day going to work, while my friend’s parents are holed up in houses. They’re not able to go to work anymore or they can’t see them graduate. So that’s why I’m here.

Sofia, Berkeley
Demonstrators included dozens of families with young children holding handmade signs. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Demonstrator Jovanna Diaz waved a Mexican flag in honor of her father, who was deported. Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano

We’re here because we want to protest against all the raids, against the way they’re treating us, people who aren’t originally from here, but came here to contribute to this country, to build a country, to live off democracy.

The truth is, I’m very angry, very frustrated for not being able to do anything, because it seems like the system doesn’t let us do anything, doesn’t let us defend ourselves, doesn’t let us protest, doesn’t let us raise our voices. And as citizens of the world, we also have the right to say enough is enough.

Roxana, Oakland
Monique Berlanga, Executive Director of the legal aid organization Centro Legal de la Raza, encouraged anyone who might be vulnerable to ICE enforcement right now to call Alameda County’s immigration hotline. “If you have an upcoming ICE check in or an immigration court hearing, call the rapid response hotline and you’ll be prioritized for a consultation.” Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano
Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas called the increased ICE arrests “an outrageous form of repression and fear tactics.” “At the end of the day, we’re all human and we have basic human rights,” she said. “We’re owed dignity and respect. And that is not what this federal government and this president is showing us.” Credit: Katherine Nagasawa / El Tímpano