BROOKLYN, January 30—”Workers’ struggles have no borders!”
“Amnesty yes! Deportations no!”
“We are workers, not illegals!”
Chants in Spanish and English rang out today through an immigrant neighborhood. Members and friends of the Progressive Labor Party led a lively, multiracial march against the surge in deportations under Barack Obama’s racist administration. We drew attention from workers and youth, many of whom raised fists and nodded their heads in agreement. Some even joined us for a time.
The march consisted of immigrant and native-born women and men marching shoulder to shoulder. We distributed a thousand bilingual leaflets headlined “Fight Racism—Stop Deportations,” and over 650 CHALLENGEs. Eager to organize with an international communist group like PLP, many workers gave us their contact information.
Obama Targets Women and Children FirstThe U.S. has ratcheted up its sexist, racist terror campaign against mainly Latin women and children. Jeh Johnson, Obama’s Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that more than 100,000 families would be deported because asylum-seeking mothers and children are fleeing violence in too large a number. Many of these refugees hail from El Salvador, the murder capital of the world. After 121 were deported earlier this year, causing public outrage, the raids were allegedly halted, but the government could resume them at any time. In his seven years as deporter-in-chief, Obama has kicked out 2.5 million people.  
Capitalism continues to cause suffering and death for immigrant workers and families, from refugees fleeing imperialist-backed wars in Syria and Yemen to mass deportations in the U.S. Now the rulers are singling out women and children from Central America, those who fled violence and economic deprivation in 2014. Under the capitalist profit system, racism is always at center stage; anti-Black, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim and anti-Latin slander and attacks.
Embolden Workers to Fight Back
As our PLP collective continues the slow, sometimes difficult, process of building our Party, it is important to note the pressing needs of the working class and encouraging to see their openness to the Party’s ideas. Workers in this neighborhood face a daily struggle. They work long hours, sometimes two jobs, to pay super-high rents. They live in fear of racist terror from the police, the courts and immigration raids at their homes, shopping areas or job sites.
In such an intimidating, racist climate, workers in the neighborhood were inspired to see a group proudly declare solidarity with undocumented families. The international working class needs to build the communist Progressive Labor Party to lead workers to revolution, smash capitalism, and establish workers’ power and an egalitarian society. Our task is both short- and long-term. It requires both urgency and patience.
Wherever and however we can, our PLP collective is taking our ideas directly to the working class. We are planning more actions like today’s. Small struggles have the potential to grow!