Portland Contra Las Deportaciones Statement In Support of Alejandro Orellana

On June 12th, Alejandro Orellana, an immigrants rights activist and leader in Centro Community Service Organization of East Los Angeles, was raided and arrested in Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, following his public participation in protests against ICE.  FBI agents seized his electronic property, arrested him, and took him into federal custody.  It took a press conference and protest before he was released the next day.  He is now facing the bogus federal charge of one count of conspiracy to commit civil disorder, which carries up to 5 years in prison.  On June 27th Alejandro will have his preliminary hearing and first court appearance.

We, Portland Contra Las Deportaciones, demand that the charges on Alejandro Orellana be dropped immediately.  Orellana has done nothing wrong.  Orellana has been a leading member of the Chicano-led organization Centro Community Service Organization, or CSO, for over 10 years.  He has been public and forthright in organizing against ICE raids and the Trump administration.  We believe it is for this reason and no other that he is being targeted.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones condemns the violation of Alejandro's first amendment rights and the attempt to scare away other protesters.  We see this attack on Alejandro as a continuation of the repression started under the Biden administration of mass peoples movements.  Repression that has continued and been exacerbated by the Trump administration.  In times like these, we must stand up and fight back.  If we don't, the repression will only mount.

Protestors in LA have faced off against tear gas, rubber bullets, beatings, kidnappings and more.  Now people's heroes like Alejandro face bogus federal charges and potential prison time.

It is people like Alejandro, and not the Trump administration and his agents, who are on the right side of history.  His activism and resistance to Trump and ICE serves as a model for what all people should be doing at this time.

To protect our First Amendment rights, our freedom of speech, and our right to say no to the ICE operations and Trump administration, we believe it is critical to defend Alejandro Orellana.  We stand with Orellana and all of those resisting Trump's attacks, especially on immigrants and Chicanos and Latinos in the US.

Drop the charges!

Thank you,

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones