EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — There were a few ‘National Shutdown’ events that were held in El Paso and Las Cruces on Friday as part of the nationwide protests around the country after the immigration incident in Minneapolis.
In Las Cruces, New Mexico, a group gathered in downtown Las Cruces around 11 a.m.
Many of them were carrying signs and flags.
“We must stop the gears of their profit machine and we must show who truly makes this world run,” one protester declared. Another added, “We will not rest until every agent who has committed a crime faces a cell.”
Ava Juergens-Ales, a high school student, explained her motivation for participating: “The reason I walked out is because with everything going on in the world and it’s so crazy. I feel that someone my own age should not, their number one fear shouldn’t be going to school.” She emphasized the importance of young voices in the movement, saying, “We’re the new voice of this.”
Gilbert Moreno, another protester, expressed frustration with the current administration, stating, “We’re tired of these fascism. We wanted to stop. We want to return to some level of normalcy.” He noted the significance of youth involvement, saying, “It’s very uplifting to see so many young people here.”
Some people in Northeast El Paso by McCombs and Transmountain also held a “walk-out”
People across the country are participating in a “National Shutdown” on Friday in response to immigration enforcement across the country, resulting in the deaths of an ICU nurse and a mother of three in Minneapolis.
The shutdown calls for supporters to stay home from work and school and not go shopping in an effort to “stop funding ICE.”
RECOMMENDED: ‘National Shutdown’ planned across the country to protest ICE
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