- Chrissa Olson | Senior Staff
- Feb 4, 2025 (DailyCal.org)
Across Berkeley, many took part in “A Day Without Immigrants,” a nationwide event encouraging people to stay away from shopping, work and school for a day to demonstrate solidarity with immigrants.
While the exact number is unknown, the effect was felt across Berkeley from campus students staying home from classes to Mi Tierra Foods on San Pablo Avenue closing its doors for the day.
“A Day Without Immigrants,” which started in 2006, is particularly salient this year in the face of the rhetorical and material attacks of President Donald Trump’s second term and fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raids.
Kimberly Lopez, a campus student, said she feels that within Berkeley, the campus protest in support of undocumented students Jan. 29 helped create momentum for continued support of immigrant communities.
“I want (people) to share what’s going on with the mass deportations, and criminalization of immigrant communities, the dehumanization going on,” Lopez said. “I want the government and the people that are against immigrants to feel the absence of what it means to not have immigrants for a day. I want the impact to be that they realize that immigrants contribute to our society in many ways, not just economically.”
Lopez noted that many friends of hers stayed home, as well as her family back in Southern California. She noted that at least one professor sent an email that excused student absences.
For Lopez, immigration is personal; she immigrated to the United States from Mexicali, Mexico, with her family when she was four years old. They were undocumented.
When she was in first grade, her grandma was deported — only after recently obtaining her citizenship was she able to visit her grandma after 10 years. Members of her family who are still undocumented live under the threat of deportation, and the threats of the Trump administration have taken a mental and physical toll on her.
It’s made her want to fight. However, she’s not doing it alone.
While people did stay home Monday, Lopez and other advocates did not stop work — continuing to call and organize in order to plan further resources for undocumented students.
“The biggest thing for me right now is community,” Lopez said. “That’s what’s keeping me grounded right now: community, relying on my friends around me and all the support.”
The city has also mobilized as well to show support for immigrants, with the City Council reaffirming Berkeley as a sanctuary city Jan. 23, which prevents the usage of city funds and resources for enforcing federal immigration laws.
In addition, La Peña Cultural Center works with Berkeley-based legal nonprofit East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, or EBSC, to form the Friends of La Peña Immigrant Rights Committee, which seeks to make immigrants aware of their rights.
According to co-executive director of EBSC Lisa Hoffman, they have received “dozens” of calls and inquiries to their staff from concerned immigrants, as well as community organizations and individuals seeking to help.
Hoffman said some of the best ways to support the immigrant communities are to be educated on their rights, record ICE interactions, know rapid response hotlines and refrain from circulating unverified information.
“Let’s not let this momentum die,” Lopez said. “Let’s keep advocating for our undocumented community. To those that have the privilege or ability to speak out against these injustices and be on the front line of rallies. Organize events, don’t stop and check in with undocumented friends and family — these are really trying times.”
