‘We’re looking for a home’: crowds rally against immigration policy in Naples

Large crowds gathered at the Collier County Courthouse in East Naples Saturday to participate in an immigration rally.

“There’s still hope. It means that this country has a lot of diversity and everyone cares about what’s going on. It’s not just an issue about Spanish people. It’s an issue that involves the whole community,” said Kathleen Morales Perz, an immigrant from Colombia.

“The only reason I came here in a legal way is because I was lucky, that’s it. It wasn’t because I deserved it or anything like that,” added Pamela Vazquez, an immigrant from Bolivia.

Rally participants held up signs and shouted chants in support of their cause.

“If they don’t have the documents, it’s doesn’t mean they don’t have rights. That’s why we’re here. It’s a matter of human rights,” Perz said.

“Be it black, white, brown, green, we all need to work together in order for us to move forward,” added Gary Petitdor, a candidate for Collier County commissioner.

The rally attracted people of all ethnicities, backgrounds and ages.

“We’re all looking for the same thing. We’re looking for a home,” Vazquez said. “We’re looking for a place that’s safe and where our prospects are better.”

WINK News reporter Chris Grisby was at the rally and spoke to several participants who shared their stories with him. Watch them in the clip above.