Amid the border crisis and thousands of families being separated, hundreds of people in the Greater Sacramento Area wanted to send a positive message to the immigrant community.
“We decided to stand on top of the freeway because there's a lot of traffic during this time on their way to work,” said Dea Montelongo, one of dozens of immigrants’ rights advocates.
Members of different congregations, community advocacy groups, and individuals held banners at more than 20 freeway overpasses from Elk Grove all the way to Auburn. The messages said things like "keep our families together" and "love has no borders".
Alma Caravarin led the demonstration of solidarity for undocumented immigrants.
“The attention nationwide right now has been this outrage for the families at the border,” Caravarin said. “The undocumented community and people that work closely with them have known that this kind of trauma is something that's been happening all along.”
Caravarin knows the feeling of trauma all too well.
“I was undocumented myself at one point and growing up as an undocumented child, I used to walk to school and had to go through this police station," Caravarin said.
She explained that she always feared police would take her away from her family because she was undocumented.
“I just thought of my mom panicking – not knowing where I was – and that's really hard to grow up as a child and go through that trauma. And then to know that that's the reality for so many kids right now,” Caravarin added.
Caravarin said it was important for her to let undocumented immigrants know that they’re not alone during a time where many feel hopeless.
“We wanted to keep this simple, and just send a positive, strong, bold message to the immigrants living in this area – that Sacramento and Placer County have their backs. And to also to put pressure on our politicians to do the right thing and make sure that our legislation reflects the values of the community," Caravarin said.
The banners also called for the release of those detained at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center.
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