By Marcela Muñoz
For several days starting January 31st, 2025, Oxnard residents gathered at many places like La Placita in downtown Oxnard and Saviers Road to protest President Trump’s new executive orders regarding immigration laws.
The Trump Administration aims to accomplish the largest mass deportation in American history, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary.
After a week of increased ICE sightings in Oxnard, Santa Paula and Fillmore, predominately Hispanic communities, people came together to organize and lead protests in response to President Trump’s new crackdown on undocumented individuals. Fliers of demonstrations against these laws circulate on social media during the days of these recent ICE arrests throughout the county. Along Saviers Road, in Oxnard, demonstrators of all ages were seen waving US and Mexican flags along with signs. Cars cruised down the streets honking in solidarity while pedestrians marched in unity shouting, “Viva Mexico” among other chants. Within a few minutes of the protests, the Oxnard Police Department became involved and closed off the intersection on Channel Islands Boulevard and Saviers Road for the safety of the demonstrators and to prevent any accidents. The Oxnard Police Department and all local police agencies have stated that they will not support or intervene in any of the ICE operation in the county of Ventura.
Many families and individuals had the opportunity to voice their concerns towards this sudden wave of executive orders. President Trump continues to attack marginalized communities within the first days of his second presidency, claiming all undocumented individuals living within the nation’s borders are criminals and are therefore prone to deportation under the law, creating a loophole towards undocumented persons.
President Trump has also revoked several Biden administration era immigration policies, signing a new executive order titled “The American People Against Invasion” as well as lifting many guidelines that once prohibited ICE from legally-sanctioned spaces such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Overall, many families and individuals gathered to express their deep concerns as President Trump has made it clear that any undocumented person will no longer be welcomed in the United States, ignoring the economic contribution, cultural diversity, and overall human rights undocumented people have in this country.
Many families face the possibility of being separated throughout President Trump’s second term, creating a major ripple in the nation’s economy as well as in many Hispanic working-class communities. Many migrant families have been established in Oxnard and its surrounding areas for decades creating an economic force for the benefit of this country.