ICE raids in California: allege that schools are losing students and construction projects are paralyzed

ICE raids in California: allege schools are losing students and construction projects are stalled The agency intensified migratory control operations in the Central Valley over the past weeks; Governor Gavin Newsom accused the federal government of "using fear and panic as a weapon" - 4 minutes reading An intense operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deployed in California over the last week caused a drop in school attendance, the halting of construction projects, and job absenteeism in agricultural fields. According to local authorities and council members, the fear of arrests led numerous undocumented residents to avoid leaving their homes. Allege schools are losing students and construction projects are stalled in California - At the beginning of October, construction workers in the Central Valley of California began to observe an intensification of migratory control raids conducted by ICE. - In this scenario, Fresno city council member Miguel Arias alleged that the operations have had different effects. "We are seeing a generalized reduction in school attendance, a substantial reduction in employees who go to agricultural operations, packing plants, and farms," Arias stated in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "Construction has practically stopped. We are seeing very few people on the streets," he added. Representatives of the United Farm Workers described the operation as a "brutal" deployment characterized by random patrols and arrests without a court order directed at Latino workers. "No-warrant stops and itinerant patrols by masked federal agents throughout California, especially in the Central Valley, were terrifying agricultural workers... and the chaos is intensifying," wrote the union president, Teresa Romero, in a statement. "These are not criminals. These are long-term working members of our communities who are being illegally attacked simply for seeking Latinos and the working class," she lamented. In response to reports of arrests, California senators and congressmen sent a formal letter to the federal agency demanding explanations about the scope of the operations and the constitutional guarantees of those detained. "Mendota is a working agricultural community, and families should not have to fear going to work or taking their children to school," they wrote in the letter signed by Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California, along with U.S. Congressman Adam Gray (D-Merced). ICE raids recorded in California in October - On Thursday, October 8, the mayor of the city of Kerman, María Pacheco, confronted ICE agents directly while they were conducting a raid. - "They are not welcome in my city. They already took enough people yesterday. We don't want them here," she expressed in a video posted on social media. - The following day, a 72-year-old resident of Fresno injured an ICE agent who allegedly broke into his daughter's property and assaulted him. According to the police, the officer had fallen asleep in his daughter's front yard and appeared "intoxicated and agitated." Following the incident, prosecutors charged the agent with assault, abuse of elders, and other crimes. Meanwhile, activists from the Valley Watch Network group reported unusual mobilization of vehicles and immigration personnel in Fresno days before the raid wave. The general concern also led to the postponement of large community events, such as the third edition of the Oaxacan Guelaguetza festival in Madera. The state government's statement and the DHS response In response to the intensification of migratory operations, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated in a press release that the increase in reports from federal agents is due to the federal government "using fear and panic as a weapon." Meanwhile, in an email sent to the Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that immigration laws are applied daily across the country and do not reveal tactical details for the safety reasons of the officers. "All their claims will be heard by immigration judges and they will receive due process," he stated. He then described the accusations of racial profiling as "repugnant, imprudent, and categorically false." - 1 - 2 There is a yellow alert for hail storms this Friday, October 16: affected states - 3 Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst: "Selfish people are incapable of loving others, and they are also incapable of loving themselves" - 4 Garbage: look at your neighborhood. The two blocks with the most complaints are on Constitution, only 160 meters away.