Over 1,400 people gathered to celebrate and advocate for immigrant rights as part of the California Immigrant Policy Center’s (CIPC) “Immigrant Day of Action 2025” on April 8 and 9 at Sacramento. The event included speeches and participation by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, and Assemblymembers Juan Carrillo, Jose Solache and Joaquin Arambula.
This was the first ever two-day Immigrant Day of Action (IDA) held by CIPC. On Tuesday, participants attended a conference to discuss anti-immigrant actions being taken by the Trump administration and what organizations are doing at local and the state level to address them.
The event concluded at the State Capitol Park on Wednesday with advocates, community leaders and impacted people from across the state participating in a day of action. Groups of people meet with their elected representatives to discuss their concerns and legislative priorities.
During a noon rally, participants listened to inspirational speakers, including Julian Castro, Chief Executive Officer of the Latino Community Foundation, the nation’s largest Latino-serving foundation, and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under the President Obama administration.
This was the largest IDA gathering organized by CIPC.
“Participation in this year’s Immigrant Day of Action exceeded all our expectations and that’s a powerful sign. It means that the people are energized and they are ready to rise up for immigrant rights,” said CIPC Executive Director Masih Fouladi. “They are ready to empower our communities and strengthen California and they are not going to stay silent despite the Trump administration’s attempts to scare immigrant communities.
“The immigrant rights movement is ready to turn that energy into action and move our collective legislative agenda,” Fouladi continued, “which includes calling on the state to allocate $60 million to increase access to immigrant legal services across the state, to allocate $15 million to support the Social Entrepreneurs For Economic Development (SEED) Program, and to ensure that all Californians regardless of status continue to have access to Medi-Cal and food assistance”
Amanda McAllister-Wallner, interim Executive Director of Health Access California, a co-chair of the #Health4All campaign with CIPC added: “As many seek to divide our communities, today over 1,400 Californians came together to support California’s immigrants and the message is clear: California must stand by its commitment to provide health care to all regardless of immigration status.”
McAllister-Wallner said “With Congress moving forward with their efforts to take away our care and Republican state legislators using immigrants as a scapegoat for budget shortfalls, it is more important than ever that our leaders stand up for our communities to ensure all who call our state home can access the care they need. Everyone in our state benefits when our neighbors, friends, workers, and caregivers are covered.”
Angelica Salas, Executive Director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) said: “In a powerful show of unity, California immigrants and our allies showed up in Sacramento, to fiercely keep up the beacon lit for hope and justice for all.”
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The California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) is a statewide immigrant rights organization that advocates for policies that protect and advance the rights of immigrants and their families throughout California. CIPC combines legislative and policy advocacy, strategic communications, statewide organizing and regional coalition capacity building to pursue its mission of advocating for policies that uphold the humanity of immigrants and refugees while advancing racial, social and economic justice.
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