On the brisk afternoon of Jan. 25, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Iowa Capital with a determination to make their voices heard as they protested the deportation of undocumented immigrants. The event was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and was part of a national effort, with over 80 cities across the country holding similar anti-Trump protests to the one in Des Moines.
“They [Immigrants] are some of the most vulnerable people in our community, and they are the backbone of our society,” said Kanai Johnson, a PSL Des Moines organizer. “They do so much and give so much to not just the U.S. economically, but they add so much to our communities as a whole.”
President Donald Trump’s Mass Deportation plan has given a new quota to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE, with each of the agency’s field offices required to arrest 75 people per day, according to The Washington Post. The new quota aims to increase the total number of arrests each day, and the ultimate goal is at least 1,200 to 1,500.
“These are our neighbors, our coworkers. We interact with them on a daily basis, and they have built their lives here,” Johnson said. “Some of these people have been here for over 10 years, and it’s not right that they could just be ripped from their home.”
PSL is a radical-left socialist political party that proposes getting rid of the capitalist state, which PSL believes cannot be reformed. It emphasizes workers owning the means of production.
“The workers make the world run, and the workers should run the world,” said Johnson. “We should be able to have the fruits of our labor.”
PSL also identifies itself as a party with the focus on the people. Johnson said this protest represents their commitment to protecting immigrant families.
“We want everyone to have an understanding that it is not immigrants that are our enemies,” Johnson said. “They are being scapegoated by not only the Trump administration, but also by Democrats as well.”
Historically, student activism has played an important role in inciting political change around the world. That is no different today, said Des Moines PSL organizer Jake Grobe.
“Students have a key role in raising the consciousness of people and to use their ability to get out there and to protest and to check the people in power to put pressure on them and to encourage more people to do something as well,” Grobe said.
Drake students who attended the protest and were contacted by the Times-Delphic did not respond in time for publication.
