FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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June 13, 2025, 

Washington, DC — Race Forward stands in solidarity with communities across the country protesting ICE raids. The federal government’s decision to call the National Guard to Los Angeles against the clear objections of both the governor and the mayor, is a dangerous escalation that threatens the civil rights and safety of us all.

At a time when communities are peacefully exercising their constitutional right to protest policies that harm Black and brown communities, the federal government is choosing force over freedom. This is not how a democracy should respond to its people.

“Federalizing the National Guard against the will of local leaders sends a chilling message. It’s a blatant overreach of executive power that undermines community trust and civil rights,” said Glenn Harris, President of Race Forward. “We must protect the right of people to peacefully protest injustice without being met with troops in their neighborhoods.”

The contrast between the federal response to protests in Los Angeles and the January 6 insurrection in the U.S. Capitol is both glaring and deeply disturbing. When white nationalist mobs stormed the seat of our democracy, federal restraint was palpable. Yet peaceful demonstrators calling for a halt to ICE raids have been met with military intervention. This disparity lays bare the unequal application of power.

Let us be clear: protesting injustice is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy—and it is especially vital in the ongoing struggle for racial justice. From the Civil Rights Movement to today’s fight for immigrant rights and police accountability, progress has always been driven by people organizing for change.

The presence of armed forces in communities of color creates a climate of fear and repression. These actions echo the behavior of an authoritarian state, not a free and democratic society.

At a time when immigrant communities are already under siege, subject to arrests in grocery stores, schools, and workplaces, often without due process—this latest move heightens the risk of rights violations and state-sanctioned violence. These abuses of power must be stopped.

Race Forward will continue to stand with local and state leaders working to advance equity and justice, and with the communities whose voices must be heard, not silenced. We remain steadfast in our commitment to a multiracial democracy where all people across race and immigration status can live with dignity and freedom.

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