Protesters connected to Soros to hold a gathering at Home Depot in response to ICE raids

Nationwide Protests Highlight Anti-Immigrant Sentiment and Response

This weekend, progressive organizations are holding over 100 protests against anti-immigrant enforcement at hardware stores and detention facilities throughout the country.

“Across the country, ICE agents are targeting immigrants in and around hardware stores, attacking and terrorizing workers, customers, and communities,” reads one protest announcement.

The demonstrations are being called “rally/wake” events to remember “all workers kidnapped by ICE on Home Depot grounds.”

Organizers have criticized Home Depot’s stance, noting, “We are a reluctant partner of ICE,” asserting that the company “does not resist or condemn these raids.”

“Tell your hardware store: ICE Out!” the promotional material encourages.

These gatherings seem to be a direct reaction to the tragic death of Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, a 52-year-old immigrant from Guatemala. Tragically, he was struck by a vehicle while attempting to flee a Home Depot where federal agents were detaining immigrants.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that Montoya Valdez was not in pursuit by federal authorities at the time of the incident.

Interestingly, the protest announcement emphasizes the dangerous nature of ICE actions, stating, “The attacks are horrific, chaotic, and sometimes deadly.”

Organizers will hold a “Day of the Dead” event outside a Pasadena hardware store on Saturday to honor Montoya Valdez and two others who lost their lives due to ICE-related incidents. Local reports indicate that the protest will include an altar, music, and speakers.

This wave of protests is part of the “disappeared in America” project, backed by various organizations including the Public Citizen Foundation and the Detention Watch Network.

Notably, funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations includes near $6 million awarded to the Public Citizen Foundation since 2016, along with significant contributions to the Detention Oversight Network.

In response to the protests, Home Depot stated, “We are not aware of and are not involved in any immigration enforcement activity. We must comply with all federal and local regulations in the markets where we operate.”