A few months ago, trips to Los Angeles meant visits to family, going to Los callejones in downtown L.A., and feeling the strongest sense of community despite the fact that I was born and raised in Bakersfield. It’s very easy to get used to the blend of noises, the cars cruising down and blasting music, while there’s vendors on the side of the street selling arrangements of flowers or homemade food.
Now, when you go driving around these once-bustling and community oriented areas, like SELA or DTLA, you notice that it’s much quieter and empty. The same neighbors and vendors that you’d once see and greet everyday are forced into hiding due to the fear of them being forcefully and wrongfully kidnapped off the streets by federal officers.
It’s the same fear that struck the immigrant community of Bakersfield in January, except this time U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers now have the backing of the U.S. Supreme Court to unreasonably stop people on the street. On Monday, The New York Times reported that the Supreme Court overturned a federal judge’s order that prevented government agents from making immigration-related stops in Los Angeles.
It feels like every day, something even more shocking and crazy happens. In the past three weeks:
- Roberto Carlos Montoya Valdez, a 52-year-old father and grandfather from Guatemala, was killed on Aug. 14 after it was reported that he was chased onto the freeway by ICE officers and struck by a car.
- On Aug. 16 in San Bernardino, ICE officers allegedly shot at a car in which children were visibly present.
- On Aug. 20 in Huntington Beach, Juan Gomez was filmed being beaten by ICE officers during a raid, which resulted in him suffering from a broken leg.
- Several incidents were also reported of parents being kidnapped while dropping off or picking up their children from school.
These are just a few of the many cruel ways that these government officials have chosen to torment the community, not to mention the numerous threats ICE officers have made against the public. It’s safe to say that these occurrences strike great fear among immigrant families, especially with these federal officers being masked when detaining people. It raises the question of whether these officers are real, or just bounty hunters.
But fear shouldn’t be the end of the story for our community. Bakersfield and L.A have many differences, but the biggest similarity between them is that immigrants are their backbones. These two cities have always thrived on culture, connection, and resilience, which is exactly what needs to rise stronger than the panic and fear.
Despite everyone’s different political views, one thing we ALL cannot afford is to let the silence replace the voices that birthed our neighborhoods and keep them alive. The only thing that this stillness will allow to happen is for our streets to go empty, but if we choose to all stand together, raise awareness, and defend our neighbors, then those same streets will once again echo with laughter, music, and the feeling of belongingness.
