On International Immigrant Day, hundreds of Angelenos took to the streets to celebrate their contributions, demand a fair migration system, and call for an end to immigration raids.

The Department of Homeland Security has reported the arrest of more than 10,000 immigrants in Los Angeles as of June of this year.

“Today we celebrate all the contributions we make “To this, our home, the United States of America, and we reject the lies and attacks from the White House, which are an absolute caricature of who we are as a people,” said Angelica Salas, leader of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), at the rally before the march that departed from Vermont and Wilshire streets in Los Angeles. “Today we say that we contribute $330 billion to this country’s economy; and that the state of California would not be the fourth largest economy in the world without the work, vision, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants.” She said that we not only contribute financially but also bring love, hope, and vision to any country we consider our home. Salas called on the immigrant community to stand firm in the fight for those who are suffering. “Families are being separated. Our people are being detained all over the country, and right here in Los Angeles, they are in detention centers.” detention when they should be at home with their families during the holidays.”

She added that people are being deported to places they haven't called home for a long time.

“We have to use all our collective energy and power to make sure we stop the human rights violations that are happening in our country.”

The migrants marched through the Koreatown neighborhood, MacArthur Park, and ended at the Pico Union Home Depot, which has been the site of numerous raids.

Pro-immigrant activist Maru Galvan said that on this International Immigrant Day,Their message to the Federal Administration is to let them know that they are not afraid of the attacks and that they will continue fighting to stay here with their families.

“He told President Trump to be careful because despite all the attacks against the immigrant community, there are constitutional laws that he cannot disregard. It's clear he doesn't know them, and we are going to show him that they must be obeyed.”

A coalition of union, religious, community, and immigrant rights leaders participated in the demonstration to celebrate International Migrants Day, which is observed worldwide on December 18.

Francisco Moreno, director of the Council of Mexican Federations (COFEM), said that in recent weeks they have witnessed inhumane and unconstitutional laws.

“Families separated without due process; people detained in the street, in their homes, in their workplaces; traumatized children, terrorized communities. That is not security, that is abuse of power. And “Faced with abuse, we respond with organization, resistance, and dignity.”

She added that the history of immigrants did not begin today, as they come from peoples who survived colonization, poverty, wars, and displacement.

“We cross borders not out of ambition but out of necessity and the hope of a better world for our families.”

And she emphasized that in the United States, migrants work in the fields, clean hospitals, build cities, care for children, educate, heal, build entire economies, pay taxes, and create jobs. “Even so, we are criminalized. Today we say loud and clear: we are not criminals, we are family, workers, and part of this country.” Araceli Pinedo, a worker at El Super stores in Los Angeles, who participated in the marches, said that today more than ever we must remind the whole world that migrants are hardworking people. “We make our communities, our city, our country function. The country belongs to those who work it, not just to the corporations that have enriched themselves at our expense. We have to fight so that our rights as workers are respected,” she exclaimed. Meanwhile, custodian Zeneyda Meneses said that 2025 has been a difficult year for immigrants, but they have faced it by demonstrating to to emphasize their collective strength in the face of the racist and anti-immigrant policies of the federal administration.

“We demand that large corporations stop supporting the Trump administration and stop fighting against the interests of immigrant workers who make economic success possible in many parts of the United States.”

And she pledged to work harder to defend democracy,From the streets to the ballot box.

“Our struggle began with Proposition 50, which we won; now we have to go out in the midterm elections and get that vote out to show that immigrants have the power in our hands; and our voice is strength.”