BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield residents rallied Sunday morning in protest of recent ICE raids taking place in Los Angeles, calling for stronger community unity, protection of immigrant families, and the defense of constitutional rights for all.
- Protest took place late Sunday morning in Bakersfield, organized in response to recent ICE raids in Los Angeles County.
- Community groups involved included United Front for Liberation, California Immigrant Youth, and a student-led nonprofit.
- President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Sunday, following clashes between immigration agents and protesters, intensifying tensions with California and raising concern among Kern County residents.
Members of the Bakersfield community rallied this week in protest of ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles County, calling on residents to stay informed and know their rights.
“We are organizing for a better change. We don't just advocate for education but we advocate for immigration as well,” said Ashley Garici, a college student in Bakersfield.
Garici said the protest was organized by United Front for Liberation, California Immigrant Youth, and a local student-run nonprofit all working together to push for lasting change.
“We're here for your family, my family, our families we’re here for our community, not just family, but for everyone,” Garici said.
The rally comes in response to a recent wave of ICE raids in L.A. County, which have sparked concern among residents in neighboring Kern County. Community members like Ana Vigil say the effects are being felt far beyond Los Angeles.
“It's just inhumane and you know it breaks my heart. My parents are from El Salvador you know, I was blessed to be born here, but I stand with my people. And not just my Salvadorans, but el todo,” Vigil said.
Vigil said she fears the same type of enforcement could soon happen in Bakersfield.
“I’m pretty sure it will happen, and I think that’s why, you know, we need to stand together and protect each other,” she said.
In the wake of public unrest, U.S. Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) took to social media to criticize Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing him of siding with what he called “violent mobs” targeting ICE agents a stance Fong labeled “disgraceful.”
Newsom responded in a separate post, urging residents to speak up peacefully and show respect for law enforcement.
Back in Bakersfield, some residents say that narrative is misleading and that ICE operations should not be tolerated in any California city.
“No, we will not stand for this. We will not tolerate this. We will mobilize, organize, and show up, and fight back,” said Rosa Lopez, a member of the Rapid Response Network of Kern.
Lopez, whose group dispatches trained volunteers to respond to reports of ICE activity, said their goal is to prevent detentions from happening in silence.
“Once we get an alert that there’s activity going on, a trained responder closest to where and who is there will be able to identify and document so people don’t go missing from our community,” she said.
Lopez emphasized the importance of empowerment and education, reminding residents that constitutional rights apply to everyone.
“All of us have rights under the U.S. Constitution. Join a team, come up, meet your neighbors, meet your community, understand what you can do to push back against this attempt to undo our democracy,” she said.
As tensions rise, immigrant advocates say that staying informed and knowing one’s rights is more important now than ever.
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