Kimberly Trujillo, a 24-year-old from Brownsville, has rapidly ascended to a leadership role within La Unión del Pueblo Entero (LUPE) just two months after becoming a member. Her involvement reached a peak when she served as a delegate at the organization’s biennial Cumbre de Miembros, a convention held in August that brings together LUPE members to prioritize issues for mobilization.
During the convention, Trujillo advocated for immigration to be the group’s top priority, a cause that initially drew her to LUPE. “I was really inspired by the work they were doing,” she shared. “Seeing a campaign so dedicated to informing people of their rights, especially in the face of severe immigration enforcement, resonated deeply with me.” The convention attendees echoed her sentiments, voting immigration as their primary focus for the year.
Trujillo’s involvement with LUPE coincides with a national climate of heightened arrests and enforcement actions against immigrant communities, particularly during the Trump administration. This year’s convention saw participation nearly double, growing from 99 attendees in 2024 to 197 in 2026, largely due to increased engagement from younger members.
Trujillo first engaged with LUPE in February after discovering their Know-Your-Rights campaign initiated in December. The “Valle Fuerte, Valle Libre” campaign aimed to equip residents with crucial information regarding their rights when interacting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
“We’ve actually seen a change,” noted Tania Chavez Camacho, LUPE’s executive director, highlighting the surge of younger members driving this shift. Those under 45 constituted the largest demographic at the cumbre, making up 35% of participants, compared to 34% for those aged 45 to 64 and 32% for those over 65.
The increase in attendees led LUPE to move the convention from its San Juan headquarters to a larger community center in Pharr, reflecting the growing engagement despite fears of ICE targeting. This rise in participation comes in the wake of troubling allegations against one of LUPE’s founders, Cesar Chavez, which surfaced earlier this year. The accusations of sexual assault against multiple individuals, including co-founder Dolores Huerta, prompted the organization to cover a mural of Chavez and refrain from participating in Cesar Chavez Day events.
LUPE’s leadership has emphasized that the organization’s mission remains focused on community safety. “As an organization led by women, we knew the profound impact it would have on our community,” a spokesperson stated regarding the allegations. “It was a moment to move intentionally, listen and learn from each other, and ground ourselves in our values of hope and justice.”
Young members like Trujillo remain committed to LUPE’s work, concentrating on pressing issues affecting their communities. “Their commitment lies with the issues impacting them currently, and that is leading the advocacy in the community organizing they participate in,” the organization noted.
As immigration enforcement intensified in the Rio Grande Valley last fall, LUPE members sought ways to respond, resulting in the launch of the Valle Fuerte, Valle Libre campaign. “We wanted to give people something practical to do because there was so much anger,” explained Dani Marrero Hi, LUPE’s deputy director.
The campaign has proven particularly beneficial for those like Trujillo, who are U.S. citizens or possess protected status and wish to support vulnerable individuals facing deportation. Immigration continues to be a central issue for many Latinos across the country, influencing their electoral priorities.
During the cumbre, participants also addressed other significant issues, with the economy and healthcare following immigration in priority. Other key topics included civic participation, infrastructure, LGBTQ issues, youth education, and fostering unity and solidarity within the community.
Trujillo, leading the immigration delegation, collaborated with her group to formulate actionable plans to tackle the challenges faced by undocumented immigrants. Their objectives include enhancing transparency between public officials and the community and electing representatives who will advocate for their interests.
“Our drive for this is that we think no one is free until we are all free, and that really drove a lot of the components of our resolution,” Trujillo remarked. The cumbre also introduced a new format where working groups developed specific strategies following the resolution votes, enabling teams to outline legislative engagement for the upcoming 2027 session.
In light of increased immigration enforcement, members now often inquire whether ICE agents will be present at events. While LUPE cannot guarantee their absence, the organization believes that the large turnout at their gatherings makes it unlikely that ICE will target these events. “Ultimately, people have to make that personal decision of, ‘Well, I’m already living in so much fear, what else do I have left than to fight for my family?’” Marrero explained, highlighting the urgency behind the heightened member engagement.
Despite the challenges posed by recent events, organizing remains essential to LUPE’s mission. “We are here to help advance the issues of the community through power building, and who has the power? The people,” said Chavez Camacho, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its foundational goals.
