More than 100 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members, leaders, and allies gathered in Long Beach on Sept. 11 at a “Reclaim Our Streets” rally, standing in resistance against the fear and devastation caused by recent ICE raids and the increasing militarization of immigrant communities in Southern California.
Organized by AAPI Equity Alliance, in partnership with grassroots and advocacy organizations, the event was a demonstration of unity, resilience, and cultural pride. It followed the Sept. 8 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing immigration agents to stop individuals based on race or ethnicity — a ruling that has already deepened the targeting of immigrant and AAPI communities.
“We are here today to reclaim public spaces and to defend our right to live and thrive in our communities,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, executive director of AAPI Equity Alliance.
Calling ICE raids “coordinated attacks on immigrants and working class communities,” she said the federal enforcement actions “continue to harm and destroy our communities and our families across Los Angeles.”
The rally came in direct response to the escalation of immigration enforcement under Trump-era policies that continue to reverberate across Los Angeles. According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 5,000 arrests have been made in the region since the renewed crackdown began — impacting families, disrupting communities, and instilling widespread fear.
“We stand together because no community should be isolated in the fight for justice,” Sayon Syprasoeuth, associate program director of United Cambodian Community, told rally attendees. “When ICE comes for one of us, they come for all of us. And when we link arms, we raise our voices and we demand change together.”
Held in Long Beach — home to the largest Cambodian community outside of Cambodia — the event highlighted the disproportionate targeting of Southeast Asian communities in the region.
Other speakers at the rally shared stories about terrified AAPI community members facing deportation and separation from their children. Richer San, founding and board member of Cambodia Town, Inc., told the audience about frightened Cambodian families living in and around Long Beach. “Don’t give up,” he told attendees.
Tina Pham, communications manager for AAPI Equity Alliance, spoke as tha daughter of immigrants who escaped from war-torn Vietnam. “My eldest brother, along with many other Southeast Asian boys at the time … sought community elsewhere with local gangs. Over the years, I witnessed my brother houseless, abandoned by my family and struggling with addiction and escaping gang life. He was luckily never incarcerated, but he knew many who ended up that way or worse.
“Today I’m sharing a story from Bao, who is not as lucky as my brother, but could have very well been my brother, who is one of the many Southeast Asians who are being unjustly detained and deported right now based on decades-old criminal records.”
Shakeel Syed, executive director of South Asian Network, said, “Today … unfortunately, people who are legitimate, legal citizens in this country are being picked up in broad daylight by the mafia of ICE and being thrown out of this country. We will not tolerate this … We’ll continue to fight until every human being, every person, regardless if an immigrant or not, regardless a citizen or not, we’ll stand with them today and every day.”
Romeo Hebron, executive director of Filipino Migrant Center, said that his organization is working with caregivers who are undocumented. “These are caregivers who are afraid to go to work, who are afraid to take the bus to work. And they are the ones who are taking care of our elders in our community. We are the nurses, we are the caregivers, the CNAs in the hospitals … We are the people in the service industries serving and preparing our food. We are all of the workers who are coming together to make the city and this world go round. And so for us, that’s why it’s very important for us to be able to stand with each other, to take action together.”
The event featured visuals honoring detained and deported loved ones, as well as cultural performances, crafts, and resources. Community resources were provided by participating groups: United Cambodian Community, Cambodia Town, Inc., Pacific Asian Counseling Services, South Asian Network, Little Tokyo Service Center, Filipino Migrant Center, Families in Good Health, NAPAFASA, and LA vs Hate.