Members of Hartford Deportation Defense, a local immigrant-led group, danced during a meeting to bring joy to their advocacy work for immigrant rights. Adrian Montoro captured the moment, and it’ll be on display this Saturday.
“This photo exhibit is being created to show our fight throughout the years for equal rights,” Montoro said, “to show how we have won things and grown from our failures.”
Montoro is the Youth Coordinator with Hartford Deportation Defense. He’s also the photographer behind the 30 photos that will be featured in the exhibit titled “The Fight to Protect Immigrants in CT.”
The organization’s youth committee is showcasing the exhibit during an open door event on Saturday, May 30 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Hartford.
Montoro said people will not only get to see the photos, but they’ll get to hear community members speak about their experiences and why Hartford Deportation Defense is important to them.
“It's important not only to document our past failures and grow from them,” Montoro said, “but also to show people that are not usually in our space what we as a community are doing in these times of struggle.”
The photo exhibit will only be on view during the event on Saturday. However, Montoro said the organization is currently in talks with the Hartford Public Library to see if the photos can be put on display.
Building community through photography
The photos are a way of showing the reality of advocating for immigrants, Montoro said, particularly during a time of increased federal immigration enforcement that continues to impact communities in Connecticut.
"It's not only a Latino problem, or a Mexican problem, as the social media wants to put it,” Montoro said. “It affects everyone. It affects not only us, but also our allies that are in the community, and how they put themselves in harm's way for the community, and how we also put ourselves in harm's way.”
Montoro said he hopes the exhibit will encourage people to join the fight.
“To make real change, you have to have community, and community isn't only immigrants,” Montoro said. “It's also the allies, the people that do have green card permanent residence.That's where the real power is… because there's strength in numbers.”
For Connecticut immigrant youth, Montoro said this exhibit serves as a reminder of what’s available to them.
“It's very beneficial for them to know that they're not alone,” Montoro said. “We have resources in HDD [Hartford Deportation Defense] that can help them.”
Learn more
The “Fight to Protect Immigrants in CT” photo exhibit will be held on Saturday, May 30 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 12 Charter Oak Pl., Hartford, CT.
It is free and open to the public. Food will also be provided. More details about the event and the youth committee can be found on Instagram.
For more information about Hartford Deportation Defense and its resources, visit its website, as well as social media, including Instagram and Facebook.
