Hundreds of people took to Merced’s streets Monday in separate demonstrations calling for protections for undocumented workers and immigration reform.

Some protesters also are urging local officials to consider designating Merced a sanctuary city.

The first protest, organized by UC Merced students, began at 10 a.m. at the university’s Pavilion Dining Center and stretched to Yosemite Crossing shopping center, covering approximately 4.5 miles over two and a half hours.

Christian De Jesus Betancourt

The Merced FOCUS

The demonstration drew about 250 people and concluded around 2:45 p.m. on the corner of Yosemite Avenue and G Street, where they stood for about three hours.

Around noon, Blanca Enriquez, two other women, and her two young children stood alone on M Street for several hours, waving a Mexican flag.

Facing hostility from some passersby, Enriquez later learned about the larger evening protest and returned to join the growing crowd.

Around 200 demonstrators gathered at the Merced County Courthouse Museum by 4 p.m. and walked to 16th and M streets, where they remained for about two hours.

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Blanca Enriquez stands on the corner of M and 16th Streets. (The Merced FOCUS/Christian De Jesus Betancourt)

A Personal Fight for Many

Monday’s protests come amid growing fears that mass deportations of undocumented immigrants could happen in Merced and the San Joaquin Valley, under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol conducted an operation in Kern County, and some believe it’s only a matter of time before similar operations happen elsewhere in the Valley.

For Enriquez, who moved to Merced from Oregon as a child, the issue is deeply personal.

“Both my parents were immigrants,” she said. “And in 2009, my mom got three deportation letters. So it hits home.”

She recalled how her mother pleaded to remain in the U.S. to raise her children, but her request was denied.

“They said, ‘No, there are schools in Mexico. You can raise your kids in Mexico,'” Enriquez said. “And I was born here, so I don’t know — it broke my heart, honestly.”

Enriquez, who attended immigration protests with her mother in 2006, said bringing her own children, ages 3 and 1, to Monday’s demonstration was important.

“I want them to see this,” she said. “I hope we gain awareness in the community — how important we are. Who wakes up at 4 in the morning to go work in the field? Immigrants. You’re never going to see someone of another race in the field like our people.”

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Students Rally Along the March Route

Earlier in the day, as the UC Merced march made its way down Yosemite Avenue and Lake Road, three students waited along the route with handmade signs, eager to join the demonstration.

Desiree Baltazar, Ashley Gutierrez, and Juliana Gutierrez — students from Los Angeles now studying at UC Merced — said they felt compelled to participate because of their families’ immigrant backgrounds.

“We’re right here advocating for immigrants and their rights because of all the ICE raids that are going on in California,” Ashley Gutierrez said. “We all come from South-Central Los Angeles, but we’re in Merced, so we want to protest and advocate for all of our people.”

The students said their families were directly impacted by immigration enforcement, particularly in their home in South-Central L.A.

“There’s been border patrol spotted down the street from my mom’s house, my grandma’s house,” Baltazar said. “The vendedores (street vendors) can’t even go out. Nobody’s outside — it’s like a ghost town. Everyone’s afraid, living in fear.”

Participating in the march was their way of using their privilege as U.S.-born citizens to advocate for immigrant communities, they said.

“We were born here, but we come from immigrant lives,” said Baltazar. “They fought to come over here for us to have a better life, so we’re using our voices to advocate for them. We’re privileged to be born here, so we can speak up.”

A March Through History

For Oscar Torres, a local artist, UC Merced student, and activist, the demonstration carried historical significance beyond immigration policy.

“We are walking in protest of the arrests that ICE has made and the statements that President Donald Trump has made about immigrants, calling all the workers who have fostered and supported the United States economy for decades criminals,” he said. “And we are against that.”

Oscar Torres, local artist, UC Merced student and activist marches along with fellow students. (The Merced FOCUS/Christian De Jesus Betancourt)

Torres, who arrived in Merced at age 21, said his understanding of being an immigrant has evolved.

“Esto era México y esta tierra fue arrebatada por Estados Unidos, injustamente, como muchas cosas más que ha hecho – This was Mexico, and this land was taken by the United States, unjustly, like many other things it has done,” he said in Spanish. “Today, I no longer consider myself an immigrant — I consider myself a native of this land.”

Torres, who has lived in Merced since 1996 after immigrating from Mexico City, said protests like Monday’s event are essential to countering discrimination.

“It is important that we all talk about this problem because it affects us all,” he said. “Some people think that it will not affect them directly, but in reality, this is a chain that has to end because racism and discrimination start with one group, and then it spreads.”

Torres pointed to U.S. history as proof that discrimination against Latinos will continue unless it is actively resisted.

“We have seen this historically in different groups throughout history, and especially here in the history of the United States, we have already seen this discrimination toward Latino communities,” he said. “We do not want this to continue. It is important that we speak out, that we express our disagreement and that we can make some changes.”

He called on people of all backgrounds to support immigrant rights, warning that inaction can lead to further oppression.

“If it is not an attack on one, eventually there will be more,” he said. “We have already seen this in other fascist groups that have annihilated humanity. We see it in Gaza, we see it in Palestine, we see the invasion that Israel has carried out in conjunction with the United States, and we see the new administration with these Nazi ideas because what we are experiencing is fascism.”

He said the fight against oppression must continue.

“We have to stand against that,” he said.

Evening March Amplifies Push for Sanctuary Status

The final protest of the day was led by Earvin Mendoza, who said his own family’s experience navigating the immigration system motivated him to take action.

“It took a long time for me to get my dad’s papers and a long time for my mom to get her papers,” he said. “The process isn’t easy. A lot of times, people feel that it’s something you can just sign up for and have by tomorrow, but that’s not the case.”

Mendoza said scheduling the march in the evening allowed more people to participate.

“I know today was supposed to be a ‘Day Without Immigrants,’ and it’s hard for people to miss work when they have to provide for their families,” he said. “So a lot of the protests I saw happened during the day, at a time when people are at work. I thought maybe if we do something between the time people get off work, it gives them a chance to be a part of this.”

As the group marched through the city, organizers handed out informational “red cards” to educate immigrants about their legal rights. Mendoza said he hopes the demonstration sparks a larger movement in Merced.

“I want people to know that this is a place where they can feel safe,” he said. “And I hope that we can move forward and create Merced into a sanctuary city.”

Pushback and Resilience

While demonstrators received support from honking drivers and bystanders, Enriquez, who stood alone for hours before the larger protest, also faced hostility.

“I got a lot of middle fingers. I got a lot of ‘go home,’ which is kind of like — this is my home. So where would you like me to go?” she said. “I got a lot of, ‘Where’s my American flag?’ when I had the American flag (too). I don’t know why. I got a lot of, ‘Go back to Mexico if you like it so much.'”

But she remained steadfast, saying the protest was about recognizing immigrants’ contributions.

“It’s not about going back,” she said. “It’s about raising awareness about how much we impact the community and how much they actually do need us.”

Sandra, one of the organizers of the UC Merced march who did not want to provide her last name, also noted resistance to the protest, including a post on a university-related page urging people not to participate.

“I got kind of scared this morning,” she said. “One of the UC Merced pages was trying to discourage people from going to the protest, and I was taken aback. They were saying they were trying to help undocumented people by spreading knowledge, but sometimes spreading knowledge isn’t enough. We need to show people that we’re here. We need to use our voice on a much larger level.”

Despite some opposition, Sandra and other organizers said the turnout proved that Merced residents were willing to stand up for immigrant communities. She walked around the protesters and urged them to ignore any insults or attacks thrown their way.

Mendoza said he was amazed at the large turnout, noting that the group started small but grew as the protest time approached.

“The people are showing up,” Mendoza said. “It takes a village, and I think we’re moving forward. I think everybody knows that Merced has a voice.”

Both marches saw a police presence, with two UC Merced Police vehicles following the student-led protest and two Merced Police Department motorcycle units with the city monitoring the evening demonstration. However, participants said the demonstrations were peaceful and without incident.

About the Author

As the Bilingual Community Issues Reporter for The Merced FOCUS, Christian De Jesus Betancourt is dedicated to illuminating the vibrant stories of the Latino Community of Merced. His journey is deeply rooted in the experiences of migration and the pursuit of a better life.