Baltimore, MD, March 18 —“Tear down ICE, Tear down the walls” was one of many lively call and response chants as over 100 people challenged the role of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention at Baltimore’s George H. Fallon Federal Building. Immigrants detained in this hell hole are held for days without beds and showers in violation of the Department of Homeland Security’s own 12-hour detention rule since Maryland closed its immigration detention center next to the state’s maximum security prison. Progressive Labor Party members have been supporting the legislative fight for Maryland to outlaw 287G arrangements that deputize cops as immigration agents. 

At the same time, at this rally, we also shared with our friends over 30 CHALLENGE newspapers that called for communist revolution as the solution to fascist attacks on immigrants by the capitalist state. We were pleased to be part of a rally that included many groups we have been working with, including our friends from the West Wednesday coalition that fights police murder, Filipino students we’ve joined in fighting for human rights in the Philippines, and CASA members (advocates for immigrants) with whom we’ve worked many times. The bosses’ press, as usual, ignored this significant rally while only mentioning an earlier press conference – clearly not wanting to inspire a more militant approach to fighting fascism in this critical moment. The struggle to win many of our friends in these groups to a communist vision of the future and to join our Party that is building that movement continues!