‘Come join us.’ Immigrant-rights advocates complete 3-day march to Sacramento
After 37 miles of marching, dancing and chanting in unison, the Three-Day Walk For Immigrant Rights reached its final destination of Capitol Park on Monday afternoon.
The walk, now in its third year, was organized by Northern California Coalition For Just Immigration Reform (NCCJIR). Marchers trekked from Andrews Park in Vacaville to California State Capitol Park, often on the unshielded pavement along the freeway.
Renee Saucedo, an organizer with NCCJIR, said the coalition includes dozens of immigrant-rights organizations across Northern California, and the group began planning the march four months ago.
NCCJIR seeks an end to deportations, repression and what Saucedo calls “Gestapo-like enforcement” by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Along the route, marchers shouted “papeles para todos,” papers for everyone, in alignment with NCCJIR’s demand of a federal path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
In addition to legislative changes, the walkers’ demanded Medi-Cal benefits for the undocumented — a response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent budget proposal that freezes enrollment in Medi-Cal for individuals “who do not have satisfactory immigration status.” The proposal also calls for a $100 monthly premium beginning in 2027 for undocumented immigrants who are now enrolled in Medi-Cal. If an undocumented immigrant misses a payment, they would lose their health care benefits and be barred from re-enrollment.
Danny Celaya, an organizer for Community Service Organization Oakland, estimated that 350 people, including retirees and toddlers in strollers, participated in the walk across the three days.
“We have parents, children and community organizers who are saying this is wrong, and we’re not going to take it,” Celaya said.
Despite hot weather, spirits remained high for the duration of the walk, organizers said. When the walkers took breaks, organizers distributed water bottles and granola bars while some marchers danced to ranchera, a traditional music genre of Mexico.
Some marchers held signs with the walk’s demands; others waved flags of Mexico and the United Farm Workers. A few young walkers wore butterfly wings made of hardwood, each with a painted message such as “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Fair path for citizens.”
The Three-Day Walk For Immigrant Rights comes as protests against ICE continue in Los Angeles. Protests began Friday, following raids in the city by ICE. Now, California is suing President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for sending California National Guard members to the protests without Gov. Newsom’s permission.
Saucedo said she sees a link between the walk and the ongoing protest 360 miles south. “Those are the injustices we want to keep out,” she said of the ICE raids in Los Angeles.
Sandra Barcenas left her home in Los Angeles to join the walk on Friday, just as protests were breaking out. She is in contact with friends and keeping a close eye on the situation. But for now, she said her her focus is on Sacramento.
“I’m trying to make my presence here known,” Barcenas said. “I am furious.”
Barcenas completed all three days of the march. Every time she passed a pedestrian on I Street, all the way to Capitol Park, Barcenas yelled the same refrain.
“Come join us.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 5:44 PM.