Yvette Walker
With KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker. This is IE Latino Voices, where we invite representatives from Latino led and Latino serving organizations to share their stories and their impact in our region. Joining me today is Anthony Victoria, Reporter and Producer with KVCR News. Anthony, thank you for being with us here today.
Anthony Victoria
Thanks for having me, Yvette.
Yvette Walker
What are some of the main concerns you're hearing from Latinos about the ongoing immigration enforcement in our region?
Anthony Victoria
I think generally, people have been very concerned about President Trump's approach to immigration enforcement, and things haven't really slowed down since he began to ramp up operations last June, and immigrant rights groups say that there's arrests almost every day. A lot of these arrests happen in areas where there's a large Latino population. So think of cities like Ontario, Montclair, Pomona and San Bernardino, and it's really made people plan for the worst. I've heard many people come up with safety plans, similar to those that you see when there's a natural disaster that happens, right? They'll gather important documents, they'll gather resources. And families have really had it hard. In fact, some families have even considered a return back to their homelands, because things look so stark for them right now.
Yvette Walker
Where are these immigration raids taking place, and are they targeted arrests?
Anthony Victoria
So a lot of these arrests are targeted, and many of them do happen in public spaces, primarily in areas where undocumented folks are either looking for work or seeking services. I've observed arrests that happen outside of Home Depot parking lots, for example, they arrest day laborers that are seeking work or other popular corners or hot spots where some of these workers meet up. I've also seen arrests outside of schools, and primarily recently, I've seen a lot of arrests occur at courthouses. In fact, just two weeks ago, I observed at least three arrests take place outside of the courthouse in Rancho Cucamonga. The Department of Homeland Security has told KVCR that these arrests are targeted. So these are targeted operations that are seeking people that they're searching for, and they say that those folks that are arrested have criminal records such as assault, battery and other serious crimes. But immigration advocates and lawyers, they argue that these aren't targeted operations, that in fact, these are arrests that racially profile or discriminate against subjects that are arrested.
Yvette Walker
Right and that's tough, especially for those that are looking to work and contribute to our economy, hopefully realize the American dream. What kind of impact is this having on Latino communities beyond the people directly being detained?
Anthony Victoria
Yeah, that's an important question. I think this is having a reverberating impact in the Latino community. In fact, a lot of advocates say that these arrests go beyond those people that are arrested, right? It impacts entire families. It impacts entire neighborhoods. I've heard of some people skipping doctor's appointments, skipping school, skipping work altogether because they're paralyzed with fear and there's a lot of anxiety that's grown. In fact, there's psychologists that I've spoken to that say that children are dramatically impacted by this, and immigrant rights groups say that this creates a lot of long term instability and fear among mostly Latino and undocumented communities.
Yvette Walker
Certainly, and I can imagine some PTSD coming from that as well.
Anthony Victoria
Unfortunately, yes, Yvette.
Yvette Walker
And so what are some efforts underway to try to limit immigration enforcement or change how it's done?
Anthony Victoria
Yeah, so there's been several lawsuits filed by immigrant rights groups against ICE and DHS over primarily the treatment of undocumented immigrants inside detention facilities. So there's been wide range reports of detention facilities here in California, especially the Adelanto detention facility, having very inhumane, notorious conditions. Lawmakers have also passed laws to try to prevent ICE agents, you know, wearing masks and by requiring them to show ID, although that's being fought in the courts right now, and there's also many local cities and counties that have either passed resolutions to try to show solidarity with the immigrant community, or to try to provide resources or some kind of support to families that might be impacted. And while many consider these actions symbolic, lawmakers, especially Democratic lawmakers, think that it's very important to take such actions to show the immigrant community that they're not alone.
Yvette Walker
Terrific, Anthony. Thank you so much for your reporting and for investing your efforts into the community following the story.
Anthony Victoria
Thanks Yvette. Really appreciate your time.
Yvette Walker
Anthony Victoria is a Reporter and Producer with KVCR News. Join us again next week for IE Latino Voices, you can find this story and others on our website at KVCRnews.org/IELatinoVoices. IE Latino Voices is produced by KVCR Public Media, and is funded by generous support from the CIELO Fund at IECF, uplifting and investing in the IE's Latino community. For KVCR News, I'm Yvette Walker.
