On Tuesday evening, the Central Valley Partnership, alongside community organizations including Poder Latinx, Loud for Tomorrow, Faith in the Valley, Delano Guardians, and others, hosted its first public forum focused on immigrant rights while highlighting the voices of young community leaders.
The bilingual meeting, conducted primarily in Spanish with English interpretation, was open to the public and brought together organizers, advocates, and residents to discuss immigration enforcement, legal protections, and community organizing.
The evening began with introductions from representatives of the partnering organizations, as well as community members who attended to learn more about immigrant rights and show their support.
Lucia Vasquez from Visalia emphasized the importance of participation among community members during her introduction.
“I am so honored to be here and it is so important to see the regular people, the volunteers, the residents. There’s many people here that I know from the movement but it’s nice to see the regular people. Because we can’t do it without you. And then I told people that they should be standing and they should say their first and last name because we know how important it is to have a vote, but we also know how important is is to be the first ones to stand up and acknowledge yourself,” said Vasquez.
Monike Reynozo, associate director of programs for Loud for Tomorrow, followed with an overview of the organization’s mission and youth leadership programs.
“Our hopes and dreams are people receiving political education, resources, and leadership development to continue to challenge the status quo so that wherever they go they can always make a difference…Our young people are always in constant survival mode and they should not be. but that will not change if right-wing media or well-paying jobs like the ICE or detention centers are already telling them beautiful lies. That’s why we began, we began that political education to reimagine organizing work. That doesn’t center burnout, where they begin to learn the balance and rigor and joy. Loud for Tomorrow’s still learning this. We’re not perfect, but our young people are our motivation, so they can continue the movement when we’re no longer here. Young people have power to make change,” said Reynozo.
Following Reynozo’s remarks, youth volunteer Jadalynn Ramos shared how she became involved with Loud for Tomorrow after watching her older sisters participate in voter registration drives and community events.
“My first glance at their community was when my older sisters kept organizing and participating in events like voter registration or voting,” Ramos said. “I knew very little about the organization, but what I observed from my sisters was an accepting community that strives to improve Delano for everyone, not just some. I unexpectedly saw myself aligned with their mission and helping the community.”
Ramos also reflected on her experiences as a young organizer.
“Because of the infantilization I experienced, I realized they were creating an us-versus-them mentality,” Ramos said. “They need to realize that we are stronger together than apart.”
While youth leadership remained a central theme throughout the evening, speakers also addressed current immigration policies and the impact of detention on local communities.
Rosa Lopez, a policy advocate and organizer with the American Civil Liberties Union, spoke about immigration enforcement, detention, and the importance of community advocacy.
“A part of what we do is work with the community,” Lopez said. “We work with you so that together we can advocate and make those changes.”
Lopez also raised concerns about the expansion of immigration detention.
“We have the capacity to detain more than 4,000 people in this county,” Lopez said. “Last week, Congress approved funding for ICE and Border Patrol, the two agencies responsible for immigrant detention. They approved $70 billion, and we know this is because detention has become a business.”
As the meeting concluded, organizers encouraged attendees to remain engaged in local advocacy efforts and continue building support for immigrant communities.
