‘You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us’: Rock Falls site of immigration policies protest

ROCK FALLS — About 30 people gathered on First Avenue bridge between Sterling and Rock Falls on Saturday afternoon to protest immigration policies enacted by the Trump administration.

“You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us,” said protestor Connie Garza of Rock Falls. “I shed many tears last week.”

Nora Serrano of Sterling organized the event on Facebook after seeing videos of recent deportations, Serrano said in an interview with Shaw Local.

“My family came here looking for the American dream,” she said.

As of Feb. 7, there have been about 1,000 arrests nationally, with about 100 of them taking place in Chicago and its suburbs, according to the ACLU of Illinois.

Illinois is a sanctuary state. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center says Illinois and Oregon are considered among the most protective states for immigrants.

About a week ago, the Trump administration sued Illinois, Cook County and Chicago over its respective sanctuary laws. The state’s TRUST Act, enacted in 2017, prevents local authorities from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement with civil immigration enforcement or asking people about their immigration status.

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Nora Serrano, a registered nurse at CGH Medical Center in Sterling, shows off her multi-generational family flag with pride Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, on the First Avenue bridge between Sterling and Rock Falls. (Katie Holloway)

Saturday, the group stood bundled against nearly freezing temperatures holding up signs with slogans like “Immigrants Make America Great” and “Families Belong Together” while drivers honked their horns in support. Other signs included “Immigrants Built America” and “Columbus Didn’t Discover America, He Invaded It.”

“I’m a believer in love,” protestor Miriam Ferrel said. “Love will win over hate any day.”

Ferrel, a 2004 graduate of Rock Falls High School, said her grandfather “sacrificed a lot for our family” by migrating to America from Mexico at just 17 years old. She figured that if he could do that, she “can stand out in the snow for a couple hours,” Ferrel said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Serrano, a registered nurse at CGH Medical Center in Sterling, said she “wants to show that we’re not all criminals.”

Garza’s mom is an immigrant from Mexico and her dad is from Texas. Together in Rock Falls, her parents had 13 children, Garza said.

Garza, along with her 12 siblings, all grew up in Rock Falls and now have children of their own. All of them work, pay taxes and contribute to the economy, she said.

She pointed to her dad in particular, whom she said has brought “so much money into Rock Falls” as the former owner of a Mexican restaurant and radio station. Her mom “helped him with everything” while raising their 13 children, Garza said.

Garza‘s mom died Dec. 20, 2024, she said.

“I’m sitting here and screaming for my mom and my family and my culture,” Garza said.

Another protester, Cytlalik Cadenas Lopez, said her whole family migrated to America from Mexico. First they landed in Chicago, but moved to Ashton in 2004 and have been there ever since.

Lopez said she came out to show her support and to be here for those who weren’t able to attend.

“I think it’s wrong that they’re splitting up families,” Lopez said.

Garza said Rock Falls is a “heavily Mexican area... everywhere you turn there are Mexicans.”

She referenced buying fruit at the grocery store: “Who picked that? And guacamole: “Who made that,” Garza asked.

“I hate to see people love our culture but hate us,” she said.