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Kern County Immigrant Youth Organize “Coming Out of the Shadows” Protest Outside Mesa Verde Detention Center

Immigrant youth use a national immigrant empowerment event outside of the Mesa Verde Detention Center to highlight the injustices the immigrant community faces in the Central Valley.

BAKERSFIELD — This evening, a group of immigrant youth under the name Kern County Promotoras will be organizing a “Coming Out of the Shadows” event aimed at highlighting immigrant stories and experiences to expose the injustices against immigrant communities in Kern County. Kern County Promotoras will share their powerful narratives in front of Mesa Verde Detention Center, a private correctional facility holding up to 400 undocumented community members in Bakersfield, and demanding an end to ICE’s relentless persecution of their communities under the slogan of #ICEoutofKern. Too long have the unique narratives of immigrants in the Central Valley been swept under the rug.

• Immigrant youth will begin their event at 4:00 PM  Friday, March 23rd, outside of the Mesa Verde Detention Center at 425 Golden State Ave in Bakersfield.
• Attendees will be invited to share their story and reflect on the unique struggles and challenges that living in the Central Valley as an immigrant entail.

The following are a few statements prepared in advance of today’s empowering action:

“Coming out of the Shadows means that we are no longer afraid of standing up to those that who try to knock us down because of our legal status.” – Ana

“Undocumented immigrants are the backbone of the entire southwest region of the United States, and we are not going anywhere.” – Emanuel

“We have to remain united as a community if we really want to enact change. We have to lose our fears and confront the necessary authorities.” – Juliza

This statement is issued by the following organizations – Kern Promotoras, ICE out of Kern, and California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance (CIYJA).

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