With millions of eyes on the San Francisco Bay Area for the Super Bowl, many wonder if federal officers will be looking to make arrests here.
On Monday, several immigrant rights groups held a rally making it clear that ICE is not welcome in the Bay. This, while one other group is showing support for ICE.
A new digital billboard at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco is evoking mixed reactions.
It’s an ad that shows support for ICE.
“It made me sick to my stomach,” said Karen Guerrero of Chicago. “”It puts fear in me- that it’s desensitizing people to think that it’s OK to be people hurting people.”
“They have a job to do too. That’s it. I don’t have a problem with them,” said Scott Yurt of Chicago.
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The billboard reads, “Defensive Player of the Year: ICE.”
A group that calls itself “American Sovereignty” is behind the billboard. We tried to reach out to them to learn more about their motivation, but have not been able to reach anyone.
In San Jose, dozens of people marched against ICE Monday. Community groups, immigrant rights, labor unions and more. They say they have a unified message — that ICE is not welcome in the Bay.
“I’m worried for my neighbors. I’m worried about what is happening. I’m worried to see it escalating here,” said Michelle Merrill of Santa Clara.
With the Super Bowl just days away, concerned residents here say they will work every day to get their message out.
“We have a “Week of Action” during the Super Bowl. The point of this Week of Action is to send a message not only to Kristi Noem — that she’s not welcome here — but also that ICE is not welcome in this community,” Joao Paulo Connolly, Silicon Valley Rising Action Organizing Director.
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“They’ve taken an event, a sporting event, a premier sporting event in the world and are trying to use it as a Trojan Horse to have ICE stagings for enforcement. We won’t’ allow for it to happen. We are going to make sure our community is safe,” said Ray Jayadev, Coordinator of SV De-Bug.
Janitor Cruz Yanez says he worried about ICE action. But he finds comfort in community support.
“Yo pienso que esta bien que esta protestando,” said Cruz Yanez of San Jose.
“It’s important for the community to be here because it’s unjust for federal agents terrorizing communities,” said Yanez through the help of a translator. “It hasn’t been criminals that have been detained. It’s just working people who have been trying to make ends meet to put food on the table.”
Donna Calia of Woodside says she’s standing firm and supporting her neighbors.
“The only the thing we can do is come out and lend our support to our immigrant neighbors and everyone who is trying to protect democracy,” said Calia.
“It’s so important that we keep standing up for each other. standing up for our neighbors. that we understand how valuable diversity it is in this country and that we embrace it,” said Merrill.
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