Holding signs that read “DISAPPEARED BY TRUMP,” “Who is next?” and “Vote NO on $150 billion for ICE,” a diverse group of Hazleton residents and activists took to the streets Thursday evening in a peaceful protest calling attention to the silent disappearance of immigrants across the United States.
Organized by Make the Road Pennsylvania, the event aimed to raise awareness, demand accountability and remind the immigrant community that they are not alone.
The protest unfolded along Church and Broad streets, where demonstrators waved U.S. and LGBTQ+ flags and held posters with the faces of people reportedly detained and vanished under U.S. immigration enforcement policies.
Omar De La Cruz, Hazleton organizer for Make the Road PA, helped lead the protest and emphasized the importance of early action.
“Hazleton is a majority immigrant community,” De La Cruz said. “It’s not a matter of if, but when. People need to know this is happening, and they deserve to be prepared. This protest is about building awareness, building hope and showing that our community will not stand by silently.”
The signs carried by protestors referenced individuals such as Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident and student protester recently released from ICE custody on bail; Heidy Sanchez, a mother who was among dozens of Cubans deported from Florida earlier this year; and Elsy Noemi Berrios, a mother who was forcibly removed from her car by ICE agents in Maryland — all shown on posters bearing the label “Disappeared by Trump.”
Others held signs urging Congress to oppose $150 billion in ICE funding in the proposed federal budget, while another read: “FIRST they came for … Who is next? Who will be left?”
Among those who joined the demonstration was Mark Peterson, a longtime community advocate, who spoke about the power of protest in moments of injustice.
“Peaceful protest is the only way to make positive change,” Peterson said. “It gives a voice to the people and lets those of us who stand for justice know we are not alone. Being free to express our grievances is a core human right and is enshrined in our Constitution, which is under threat. Peaceful protest gives power back to the people.”
Make the Road PA serves immigrant and working-class communities through advocacy, legal support, civic engagement and organizing. With offices in Philadelphia, Allentown, Reading and Hazleton, the organization is committed to building dignity, respect and power across Pennsylvania.
Emily Lua Lua, lead organizer at Make the Road PA in Philadelphia, traveled to Hazleton in support of the action and shared how similar patterns are occurring across the state — even in sanctuary cities like Philadelphia.
“Just because you live in a sanctuary city doesn’t mean you’re safe,” Lua Lua said.
“ICE still shows up at homes, hospitals, schools and restaurants. People are taken and disappeared, and their families aren’t told where they’re being sent," she said. "We have to track them down ourselves. Many end up in places like the Moshannon detention center here in Pennsylvania. This shouldn’t be normal. Families deserve to know where their loved ones are. We’re here to say this is not OK — and we will not be silent.”
