Editor’s Note: In the wake of the recent civil unrest in the Southland, sparked by the immigration raids by ICE at a Home Depo in Westlake and at Ambiance Apparel in the Garment District, the literary community has rallied in solidarity with these Latinx immigrant communities that many of these writers come from. They’ve protested and spoken out against the military-style terror of ICE—ICE agents sometimes arriving in tactical gear, immigrants arrested kidnap style, ghosted—and the military response against these protests, to speak up against the systemic oppression our immigrant communities experience.

Some poets have written poems—such as Karo Ska’s “Dear Amerikkka”—posted on social media, and pounded the pavement downtown in the vicinity of the Federal Building. Even local independent bookstores and literary organizations such as Chevalier’s Books in Larchmont, Café con Libros Press in Pomona and Beyond Baroque Literary Arts in Venice, have released statements of solidarity.

One of the most extensive statements is from Café con Libros Press. They shared the following statement of solidarity with immigrant communities:

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Café con Libros Press Solidarity Statement

Café con Libros Press is more than a bookstore—it is a sanctuary for community, storytelling, and resistance. We remain committed to holding space for truth, liberation, and collective care. We are with you. We will not back down.

We stand in unwavering solidarity with our immigrant neighbors—documented and undocumented—who deserve safety, dignity, and the freedom to live without fear. We call on our elected officials to end these abuses of power and to listen to the people demanding justice.

As Latinas, immigrants, and descendants of immigrants, we know the fear these raids, and militarized responses are meant to instill. We know what it means to have our families threatened, our communities surveilled, and our voices dismissed. We will not allow it to happen in silence.

We at Café con Libros Press condemn the recent ICE riads, as well as the deployment of the National Guard and U.S. Marines against peaceful, lawful demonstrations. These actions are violent, unjust, and aimed at silencing the very people most impacted by systemic oppression. We reject this cruelty in all its forms.