Hundreds Join March Against Deportations,
Honoring Indigenous Resistance
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 MICOP’s staff, local organizations & community leaders gathered after the event on 4/27. Courtesy photo. |
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| OXNARD — On Sunday, April 27, 2025, at 11:00 AM, the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP), in collaboration with CAUSE and SEIU 2015, hosted a powerful May Day march against deportations, bringing together hundreds of community members in a strong show of unity and collective action.
The May Day March reflected MICOP’s ongoing mission of supporting, empowering, and organizing the Indigenous migrant communities across California’s Central Coast. Participants marched through the streets of Oxnard in honor of International Workers’ Day, raising their voices to call for an end to deportations, family separation, and unjust immigration policies that impact our communities.
“Our communities are not just surviving systems that were never built for us—we’re preserving languages, raising families, and keeping traditions alive in the face of constant threat,” said Ofelia Flores, Community Organizer at MICOP. “This march is a reminder that Indigenous migrant communities are not invisible. We deserve to be protected, celebrated, and heard—not just on May Day, but every day.” |
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 Community members marching against deportations & holding up signs. |
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| The event celebrated indigenous resilience and tradition through performances by Los Diablos Nueva Unión con Banda Recuerdo, Flor Bonita, Kalpulli Huitzilin Ihuan Xochitl, and Inlakech Cultural Arts Center. Indigenous and Mexican traditional music and dance filled the streets, honoring ancestral histories and showcasing the cultural vibrancy that fuels justice movements today.
The program featured remarks from local leaders and advocates, including Micheala Perez, Oxnard City Council Member (District 6); Angel Garcia, Administrative Assistant to Supervisor Vianey Lopez, County of Ventura; Jesus Noyola, local Afro-Indigenous poet and radio DJ; Primitiva Hernandez, Executive Director from the 805 UndocuFund, alongside other local leaders and speakers. Each speaker emphasized the need for urgent action to protect Indigenous, immigrant, POC, and LGBTQ+ communities and honor Indigenous peoples’ leadership in shaping a more just future.
MICOP calls on the City of Oxnard to reaffirm its commitment by officially declaring itself a Sanctuary City and urges the County of Ventura and elected officials to adopt policies that defend the dignity and rights of all.
“When a city declares itself a Sanctuary, it’s not just passing a resolution—it’s choosing to listen to the people who have been here all along, surviving, organizing, and building futures against the odds,” said Vanessa Teran, Policy & Advocacy Director at MICOP. “Oxnard has the chance to put its values into action and take real steps to protect the communities that have always protected each other.”
This May Day, Indigenous and immigrant communities are led with strength, pride, and unwavering commitment to a future rooted in justice. |
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| About MICOP:
The Mixteco/Indigena Community Project (MICOP) is a non-profit organization serving Indigenous migrants from the southern states of Mexico living in the tri-county region of the Central Coast. With offices in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo, MICOP’s mission is to support, organize, and empower the Indigenous migrant communities in California’s Central Coast. www.mixteco.org
About CAUSE:
CAUSE is a base-building organization committed to social, economic, and environmental justice for working-class and immigrant communities in California’s Central Coast. CAUSE builds grassroots power through community organizing, leadership development, coalition building, civic engagement, policy research, and advocacy.
About SEIU 2015:
SEIU Local 2015 is California’s largest union and the nation’s largest long-term care workers union, representing more than 470,000 home care, skilled nursing facility, and assisted living center workers. SEIU 2015 is committed to fighting for racial, economic, and immigrant justice—advocating for dignity not only for care workers, but for the communities they serve. With deep roots in immigrant and working-class movements, SEIU 2015 stands in solidarity with immigrant families and continues to organize for a future where every person, regardless of status, can live, work, and age with dignity and respect. |
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