INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two days after a joint operation netted eight arrests and the detainment of dozens of others, residents gathered to protest what they say is unfair treatment and racial profiling of undocumented immigrants. The event – deemed “Fight For Our Families” – aims to counter the narrative of classifying anyone without documentation as “criminals.”
“This is our home. I live here. I have a mortgage here,” said event co-organizer Azucena Maldonado, 46, a longtime Vero Beach resident whose roots originate in Mexico. “There is no reason for people to be afraid of us or the language we speak.”
The gathering brought in dozens of people with family origins tracing back to Mexico, along with Honduras, Ecuador and other places in central and south America. The protest comes as state and federal officials aim to crack down on illegal immigration in the U.S.
“We are proud to be in this country. Our ancestors risked their lives coming here. Most immigrants can’t go back home because they don’t have a home and come from marginalized communities,” Maldonado said. “(Immigrants) came here for a better life and education. People can’t survive on what they get paid (in Mexico).”
Supporters held flags representing Mexico, Honduras and other countries as they assembled at 9 a.m. Saturday at the corner of 58th Avenue and State Road 60. Many attendees held signs, some of which read “stop hate,” “immigrants make America great” and “my immigrant family works harder than your president.”
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office partnered with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol to detain undocumented immigrants earlier this week. The joint sting in the county was conducted under Operation Stonegarden, which deputies have enforced since 2016.
Veronica Oliva, 44, born and raised in Vero Beach, said her close friend, who was a passenger in a work truck, was one of the people taken into custody by federal agents. Oliva described her friend as a hard worker.
“It makes me feel bad. None of them deserve it. They’re here to work and support their families,” said Oliva, who has roots that trace back to Veracruz, Mexico. “I have no words. The (officers) were stopping people just because they were Hispanic. If they are criminals then go after them. But these people were not. We have to be treated equal.”
Maldonado said immigrants who come to America work in a variety of professions, including housekeeping, landscaping, construction, or even becoming firefighters, nurses or doctors. Maldonado said many immigrants come to the United States to escape from the violence in their home countries.
Immigrants who come and settle in America and do not complete the 10-step naturalization process to become a U.S. citizen face the consequence of deportation. More information on how to become a U.S. citizen can be found on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.
“We don’t want people to be afraid of us because of the color of our skin,” Maldonado said.
Operation Stonegarden is authorized under the 287(g) agreement, which allows state and local agencies to act as immigration enforcement agents. Opponents of the 287(g) agreement say the program is problematic and “could lead to racial profiling, civil rights violations, isolation of immigrant communities and family separations.”
Sheriff Eric Flowers previously said the Indian River County raids targeted those only engaged in criminal activity. No children were taken into custody during the incidents.
Co-organizer Elizabeth Gallegos said the arrests this week have created a fear in the immigrant community. Gallegos said the arrests were based on racial profiling.
“A lot of those people are not criminals. They’re here to provide for their families,” said Gallegos, 27, of Vero Beach. “Yes, there are a few bad seeds, but that’s everywhere. We all deserve a seat at the table.”
Jail booking records show that the eight people arrested locally had traffic offenses, including no valid driver’s license, knowingly driving while license suspended, driving with an expired license for more than six months and giving a false ID to a law enforcement officer. Those arrested were all men, with three living in Vero Beach, and the others residing in Fellsmere, Fort Pierce, Bradenton, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
Dozens of other people who were detained in Indian River County were handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sheriff’s officials said one individual taken into custody was previously deported four times. Another had prior sex offense charges and one more had offenses including criminal use of personal identification information.
Further details on those individuals taken into custody by federal agents were not immediately available.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
