MARYLAND, March 21—As the city council in Prince George’s County, was debating whether to be a sanctuary city, some neighbors organized a rally and marched to the public hearing to support Sanctuary City status. Some council members seemed to be for it, but many residents were fearful. We need to organize to dispel these fears by building a strong, grassroots network to support those threatened with deportation. Just voting for symbolic sanctuary status is not enough.
Speaking at that hearing, a Progressive Labor Party (PLP) emphasized the racist nature of deportations and how racism should not be allowed within the city. Our next step was a public outreach rally. Seven neighbors set up a table and talked to shoppers outside a local working class grocery store. The group was multiracial with signs in Spanish and English and speakers included white, Latin, and Black neighbors. Within the hour we made 25 contacts. We planned a potluck dinner on April 1st and another outreach later in April. During the rally we received no negative or racist comments, though some shoppers expressed fear because of their immigration status. The event increased our confidence in the working class.
In follow up conversations, the PL’er has stressed that a Sanctuary City ordinance won’t keep residents safe. Grassroots working class organizing and unity, on the other hand, can defend our brothers and sisters directly. At some point we must break these racist laws. It’s the capitalist racist system that is the root cause of these problems, not just Trump—after all, former President Barack Obama deported 3.2 million people in his eight years in office. Communism, a system run by workers with no wage and profit system and no borders, is the only solution to these growing fascist attacks. Building multiracial, working class unity for communism through outreach, potluck dinners, other gatherings, and sharper class struggle are needed to grow our Party into the fighting organization the working class needs.