Courtney Luciana Photo
Wednesday’s caravan filled with hundreds of cars.
Amid chants and honking horns, Tamara Nuñez del Prado had a message for the new president of the United States.
“Today we’re taking the streets of New Haven, and we’re here to remind Biden that he needs to comply with the set of policies that he has recently published,” Nuñez del Prado (pictured at center in above photo). said “Today we’re fighting for economic justice, racial justice, climate justice, migrant justice, and we’re taking the streets.”
Nuñez del Prado joined members of Unidad Latina en Acción (ULA) and other activist groups Wednesday evening for a caravan and march to press for a social-justice agenda on the day that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office.
“We were able to get rid of Trump, and that’s a good thing,” ULA organizer Max Cisneros told the crowd. “But in 2008 when Obama was elected, he didn’t stop deportations. He also didn’t get rid of the Defense of Marriage Act.”
Connecticut has an estimated 140,000 undocumented immigrants. Rebeca Vergara Greeno, a director at the Haven free clinic (pictured above next to Nuñez del Prado), said that most recently the funding for rental housing assistance program for undocumented immigrants dried up. Greeno said that she remains skeptical even after Biden has stated this past week that he plans on passing an immigration reform bill.
(During his first hours in office Wedneday, Biden signed executive orders to bolster the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, halt construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall, revoke a plan to exclude immigrants from the U.S. census count, and overturn several of his predecessor’s aggressive deportation efforts. He ended the “Muslim ban” on immigrants from predominantly Muslim countries. He proposed a bill that would provide an eight-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, with a shorter period for “dreamers” who arrived here as children.”)
“There was probably only enough rental housing assistance for a couple hundred people,” Greeno said. “I think it’s hopeful that we now have a Democratic Congress. We need grassroots organizations to apply pressure.”
Jimmy Munez came to the U.S. from Peru looking to start his own business. He said that he couldn’t carry out his dream in Peru because of persecution and tough economic conditions.
“It’s been kind of hopeful to have seen the campaign that Biden ran because I’ve seen a lot more opportunity and hope,” Munez said. “A lot of effort was made not just to get rid of Trump but to make sure that Biden completes his promises.”
Drivers beeped as they passed ULA members on Church Street holding signs reading, “All we have is each other,” “Stop facism in Amerikkka,” “Recovery for all,” and “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
Fundraiser for Jorge Mapa.
Some drivers ran out of their cars to donate to a fundraiser for Jorge Mapa’s body to be sent back to Mexico after he was shot and killed last Saturday night on Grand Avenue. John Lugo, founder of ULA (pictured below), said that it will cost more than $7,000 to send the body back.
“Our friend was killed, but this is one of the many killings that happen in the city,” Lugo said. “This is another call for us to get together as a community. What’s going on in this city isn’t right, and we need to work together.”
Eric Maroney, a college educator and member of Central Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America, displayed a sign on his car that read, “Tax the rich.”
“What I saw on January 6th was frightening and disgusting,” Maroney said, referring to the violent pro-Donald Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol seeking to stop the certification of election results. “I’m out here with all of these groups because we want to show that hate is not welcome at the Capitol or at our city here in New Haven.”
Al Mayo, from New London, twirled a Black Lives Matter flag while passing in between cars.
“We still need to do what we’re doing. It doesn’t change just because Biden is in office,” Mayo said. “My state of safety is still the same. January 20th is the same as January 19th. That doesn’t change.”
Mayor Justin Elicker and ULA Founder John Lugo.
Mayor Justin Elicker told the crowd, in Spanish, the pandemic has added to the challenges the city is facing. He spoke of pushing the state and federal governments to increase municipal aid so New Haven can support more affordable housing, jobs, and a librarian, guidance counselor, and social worker in every school.
One of the last speakers for the night, Bevro Espinosi, said the community is looking forward to a change in immigration policies.
“There are many families and kids that are in shelters in Mexico looking for a better life,” Espinosi said. “We have families here, and we pay our taxes. I believe we are going to get something done with the Biden-Harris administration.”
Soon after, off went the bustle of cars, making noise for change.
"Abolish Police"?!!? Is Trump still paying these guys to make the Left look out-of-control scary?
I agree with a lot of what Lugo fights for. But not great messaging on a day like yesterday.