BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Department of Homeland Security has announced its continuing immigration raids in essential work industries. Now, many in the community are now anticipating what may come next.
- Recently, President Donald Trump ordered a halt on immigration enforcement for farmers and other essential industries.
- Officials with the Department Homeland Security are instructing immigration officials to continue with all deportation enforcement.
Establishments have declining to go on camera due to fear of exposing themselves to immigration officials.
Recently, the President ordered a halt on immigration enforcement for farmers and other essential industries and now, fear has returned into the community after the department of homeland security has resumed all deportation efforts. Many in the area now are left wondering how aggressive enforcement could be.
"Our farmers are being hurt badly by, you know, they have very good workers, they work for them for 20 years, they're not citizens, but they turn out to be, you know, they're great and we're going to have to do something about that.”
During a June 12 press conference, President Donald Trump stated there would be a halt on immigration enforcement for restaurant workers, hotel workers, and field workers.
However recently, the administration has stated that efforts will resume. Assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin, said in a statement Tuesday "There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts."
Here in Kern County, fear has returned. Establishments declining to go on camera due to fear of exposing themselves to immigration officials.
Stopping by several restaurants in East Bakersfield and speaking with owners off camera, they tell 23ABC their staff are scared when coming into work and if a raid were to occur, they face the possibility of shutting down.
Reaching out to the United Farm Workers Union, representative Bryant Macias tells me this back and forth with in departments aren’t just affecting those who are undocumented, but families and the economy as well.”
“He’s playing with peoples emotions at the end of the day right, that false sense of security and even being afraid to go to work,” said Macias.
Macias says with the UFW partnering with Rapid Response, they’re on the grounds working to ease fear in the community.
“We provide know your rights information, presentations, and material. Please reach out to any of our offices to get some of that material, the red cards with our rights,” said Macias.
According to rapid responses instagram page, the local immigrants rights organization, they have yet to report an official ice sighting in the county.
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