Professor Arrested After Fiery Speech Against immigration Raids at ⁤Camarillo City Council Meeting

Camarillo, CA ⁢ – A professor from CSU Channel Islands, John Caravello, was arrested teh day after delivering⁣ a passionate public comment at the Camarillo City Council meeting, where he vehemently denounced immigration ⁤enforcement practices and spoke out against‍ the targeting of undocumented individuals. ⁤Caravello, also a longtime organizer with the Ventura County Tenants union and a volunteer with ‍VC Defensa, expressed his commitment to ‍protecting his students and neighbors, many of whom are undocumented.

Professor’s Powerful Address Highlights “Illegal” Actions

During the public comment period on Wednesday, ⁢before an anticipated raid, Caravello took to the podium to voice his strong opposition to what he described as the “kidnapping” of community members by “armed, masked thugs.” He challenged the common labeling of undocumented immigrants as “illegal,” instead pointing to actions he deemed truly unlawful.

“Many call these⁢ neighbors ‘illegal,’ but let’s talk for a ‍second about what’s really illegal,” Caravello ⁤stated.He drew parallels between the actions of immigration enforcement and what he characterized as illegal U.S.foreign⁤ policy. “When the U.S.⁤ bombs civilian nuclear sites, like they did in Iran late last month, it’s illegal. When the U.S. provides weapons to an apartheid state to fuel a genocide,⁢ like it continues to do in Palestine, it is illegal.”

Caravello further elaborated on the perceived hypocrisy of U.S. actions abroad and their connection to domestic immigration policies. ⁢”And today, armed, masked thugs are bending the knee to just follow orders to kidnap, imprison and deport our neighbors to countries that we⁣ destabilize, that we have under the thumb of our political and economic domination, whose soil we destroy with pesticide-ridden bananas, ⁢whose leaders⁢ we depose and whose people our media continue to dehumanize.”

He questioned the moral authority of restricting people’s movement and judging their life choices, concluding ⁤his remarks with a powerful declaration: “ICE is not welcome hear, just like the U.S. is ⁢not welcome in other countries. And you,our elected officials,shoudl swear them off,if not in policy,then in⁣ spirit,to at the very least pay back⁢ your undocumented⁤ community members for picking your [bleep] ⁤ strawberries. ⁣No one is illegal. Power to⁣ the people.”

Student and Colleague Speak ‍Out Following Arrest

Following Caravello’s arrest, Angelmarie Taylor, a student at CSU Channel Islands and a volunteer with the 805 Immigrant Coalition, spoke with Amy Goodman, highlighting the professor’s consistent advocacy.

“No, professor Caravello hasn’t been released,” Taylor confirmed. “And as you’ve heard in that‍ public comment, he has always used his ⁣voice to speak up for those around him.Myself as a student coming from an immigrant ⁢background, like most other students here in CSU Channel ⁣Islands, professor Caravello has been continuously targeted because of his outspoken views to defend his community. And he was one of the protesters on the ground who was helping other protesters‍ amidst the violence.”

Taylor emphasized that Caravello’s activism stems from a deep commitment to his⁢ community and the students he teaches, many of whom have undocumented family members. His arrest has drawn further attention to the⁣ ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and the rights of undocumented⁣ individuals.The report noted that a judge in Los Angeles had recently ruled that migrants⁤ can no longer be rounded up in Los Angeles without cause, a progress that may have implications for future ⁢enforcement actions. The situation surrounding Professor Caravello’s detention and the broader context of⁣ immigration policy in the region continue to be closely monitored.