Federal immigration operations carried out across the Coachella Valley last week are continuing to draw criticism from immigrant rights advocates, school officials and elected leaders.
The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said it documented more than a dozen ICE and Border Patrol operations in cities including Coachella, Thermal, Desert Hot Springs and Indio beginning around May 10. Community members reported detentions during traffic stops and street encounters, while videos posted online appeared to show agents stopping workers and drivers in public areas.
In one video shared online, a man pleads in Spanish for permission to retrieve his identification as agents attempt to pull him from a van. ICIJ says the man was later released.
In recent days, local leaders have publicly responded to the enforcement activity.
In letters sent Friday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Mullin, Congressman Raul Ruiz called for greater transparency surrounding the operations, which he described as “indiscriminate” and “racially motivated.”
Ruiz, a physician who represents much of the Coachella Valley, wrote that the operations have had widespread impacts on local families, schools and businesses.
“What is happening in the Coachella Valley right now is a public health crisis as much as it is a legal one,” Ruiz wrote. “High school students in my district have come to school unable to focus because their parents have been detained. Businesses have lost workers without warning. Families are unable to locate loved ones.”
Coachella Valley Unified School District officials also sent notices to parents following reports of immigration activity near Thermal and surrounding communities, reiterating that campuses remain focused on student safety and privacy protections.
Michelle Monjarraz with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice said residents should carry important legal documents and understand their constitutional rights during encounters with federal agents.
“You also have the power to advocate for your neighbors, for your loved ones,” said Monjarraz.
In a statement to KVCR, the Department of Homeland Security defended the operations, saying ICE arrests are conducted under federal authority and constitutional standards.
