The Burley community comes together to advocate for immigrant rights

BURLEY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —For a second weekend in a row, people took to the streets here in the Magic Valley to protest and advocate for immigrants rights.

“Our voice is the biggest tool we have,” Selena Rivas, a Mexican-America, organized the protest.

A group of immigrants and American citizens lined-up with Mexican and American flags on the corner of 400 South Road and overland Avenue in Burley, Sunday.

“Because it was posted on social media, so much hate it started to scare us,” Rivas said.

Rivas made sure law enforcement was there to help keep things peaceful.

Some protestors held signs in English and Spanish saying they were fighting for the people who are at risk of getting deported or have already been.

“Result of all the families are starting to be separating. The protest is that ICE is coming after people who have been here for a long time,” Damian Rodriguez, a protestor explained.

President trump has vowed to deport millions of people in the U.S. illegally.

The White House says that more than 8,000 people have been arrested in immigration enforcement actions since Trump’s inauguration.

Idaho has a large immigrant population due to the Agricultural industry, many who live in Burley.

“This community is full of agriculture and immigrant workers, so why not?” Rivas said.

The protestors eventually made their way to the Burley bridge, with many saying that immigrants are doing the hard work.

“We came to Idaho to do the work that nobody wanted to do. We were field workers,” Rodriguez said.

“Immigrants do everything. Agriculture farming is pretty much the same. They build their houses, they build this, this country,” Rivas said.

This demonstration was one of many that took place across Idaho and the country this past week.

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