A Mexican Immigrant in New Haven Says Hard Times Ahead No Matter Who Wins Presidency
Jesus Sanchez stands in the back of a protest at Yale University. He says his favorite part of demonstrating is holding the megaphone.
Credit: Ryan Caron King / WNPR
Jesus Sanchez held his cell phone in one hand and a megaphone in the other. He was simultaneously streaming a protest at the New Haven Police Department on Facebook Live while leading the demonstrators in a chant.
Sanchez is with the social justice organization Unidad Latina en Acción. The demonstrators blocked off traffic to protest what they say was an incident of police brutality in New Haven last month.
Sanchez said he found a home in New Haven after he legally emigrated here from Mexico with his mom and his brother as a teenager. As a “sanctuary city,” New Haven is known for its immigrant-friendly policies.
But Sanchez said there’s been a shift in attitudes towards immigrants since Donald Trump announced his candidacy last year.