Local moms organize ICE protest

RIO RANCHO — Protests against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement a continue across the country, and Rio Rancho residents are participating.

After Minnesota launched a mass protest for Alex Pretti, a man killed by ICE, Rio Rancho moms Yolanda Ibarra and Kimberly Grubbs decided to participate in the nationwide movement Jan. 30 at the corner of Southern and Unser boulevards. Their kids also tagged along.

"We've seen several people around here do it before, and we didn't have to go all the way to Civic Plaza; we could just pick any corner in the community," Ibarra said.

She and Grubbs called out to friends on Facebook.

"We’ll be out there today! If you can’t make it to Civic Plaza, show up wherever you can to make your voices heard!" Grubbs wrote.

She said at first they were uncertain if they should keep the kids out of school for the protest but as more people joined the effort, they felt the statement needed to be made.

The kids who participated carried signs of their own stating, "Pay my teacher, not ICE," and "Families belong together." Others simply said, "Keep ICE out."

One kid used a bull horn to shout, "No justice! No peace!"

Reactions to the protestors were mixed, according to Ibarra. Some drivers honked or whistled in support but others flipped the families "the bird." 

Ibarra knows people would criticize them for involving the kids but defended the action.

"We gotta show them how to speak up for our rights," she said. "This is also a teaching moment for them in history."

One participant not related to the moms was Dee Curry. She was holding a different sign that said "Pass HB 9."

House Bill 9, or the Immigrant Safety Act, is currently proposed for the New Mexico legislative session. It aims to get rid of ICE detention centers in New Mexico.

"We're just trying to do the right thing because there's been a lot of abuse in all of the ones that are here," she said.

She said people don't understand the protest, thinking that the protestors are just there to "cause trouble."

"No. We're just trying to keep everybody safe, including our immigrants," she said.