Quick Take
Dozens of mothers with young children marched in Aptos on Friday, while about 80 nurses and supporters rallied outside Dominican Hospital in Live Oak as part of anti-ICE protests across Santa Cruz County. Organizers and participants said they took to the streets to stand in solidarity with immigrants and denounce what they described as cruelty and fear caused by federal immigration enforcement.
In Aptos on Friday, dozens of moms and young children marched from near Seacliff Village County Park over Highway 1 to the village green near New Leaf Community Market.
Elisa Havens-Stokes organized the family-friendly “Moms Against ICE” protest and encouraged people to bring their babies, signs and voices to speak out against violent operations by U.S. Customs and Immigration and other federal agencies under the Trump administration. It was one among several Santa Cruz County protest events, with students walking out of class to march in downtown Santa Cruz and in Watsonville and many local businesses closing for the day or donating proceeds from sales in support of a national shutdown.
“We really just wanted to use our presence in the community to highlight and stand in solidarity with the injustices that are happening across the country,” said Havens-Stokes, the executive director of the Circle Family Center, which provides pregnancy, birthing and parenting services.
At Dominican Hospital in Live Oak, about 80 nurses and supporters protested against ICE. Nurse Marilyn Humphrey said she came out to protest because she cares about all people.
“I oppose the cruelty that’s going on,” she said. “I have to have my body out here to use that as an expression of my opposition to the cruelty and the war that’s being waged on our very own citizens. It’s wrong.”
Emergency department nurse Lauren Bailey said she and her fellow nurses demonstrated Friday to “show their displeasure and hatred of ICE.”
“As nurses, ICE is the complete opposite of what we stand for. We stand for caring for people,” she said. “ICE has been out there terrorizing our community, terrorizing our patients and our families.”
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