Community members and union representatives assembled in unison on Thursday outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. The gathering demanded the release of Alfredo "Lelo" Juarez and Lewelyn Dixon, two union affiliates detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle.
According to Cascadia Daily, Juarez, a distinguished farmworker and advocate for immigrant rights, was apprehended on Tuesday in Sedro-Woolley, while Dixon, a lab technician with a green card, has been inside the ICE facility for almost a month.
The recent arrests have raised concerns amongst the union community, fearing they might have been targeted due to their activism. Representing Familias Unidas por la Justicia, Juarez has been a vocal leader for farmworker rights, with a history that stretches back to his early teens. Standing alongside pickups at the planned protest, "Lelo is a labor organizer, a dedicated advocate for farmworkers and a beloved member of our community," Tony Mellilo, President of the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, told FOX 13 Seattle.
During the demonstration, the crowd heard from various labor union leadership voices, as well as Juarez's brother who, amid fears of retribution, wished to remain unnamed. In a statement obtained by Cascadia Daily, he relayed a morning conversation with his detained brother, who was aware and uplifted by the rally for his cause. Dulce Gutierrez, a staffer at the Washington State Labor Council, emphasized community support, saying, "they know that we have their back and they know that we’re not gonna stop until we see justice and this being resolved."
The protest, as noted by The Seattle Times, featured signs that called Juarez a "political prisoner," highlighting a sentiment that the detentions were not only an affront to immigrants but also to the rights of union workers and free speech. Having been in the U.S. for more than five decades, Dixon, originally from the Philippines, works as a lab technician at UW Medicine and is a member of SEIU Local 925.
