Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in our sister publication, El Tribuno del Pueblo, and can be viewed here. Written prior to the 2025 inauguration of Donald Trump, the article discusses what has happened in the Central Valley of California with unannounced raids on undocumented people, even prior to the recent inauguration. It notes similarities between the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act and the threat of mass deportations today.
The Trump administration nightmare has begun with his campaign promise of mass deportations. Trump may have left sensitive locations like schools, medical sites, churches alone during his last term but, as President of the United States, he is now getting ready to sign an executive order that will target them.
According to recent news reports, from 78 to 200 immigrants have been detained throughout the Central Valley (for now, mainly in Fresno and Kern counties) of California. Calls, texts, social media posts report they are seeing vehicles of the Customs and Border Protection in places like Walmart, local grocery stores, highways, and even at Merced Costco.
The Customs and Border Patrol agents (from the El Centro Sector) are only doing their jobs, supposedly keeping our communities safe from “criminals” — “criminals” that are immigrants. These agents are creating widespread fear because of past history. The modern-day version of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act has kicked off in the Central Valley of California.
The key features of the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act were:
- Enforcement – The public could be deputized to uphold the law.
- Compensation – People who turned in these escaped slaves were paid for returning a suspected freedom seeker to their enslaver.
- Penalties – Anyone who obstructed the capture of a freedom seeker faced stiff fines and up to six months in prison.
Sound familiar?
Many in our communities expected that activity to start after January 20th, after the inauguration of a President who has been convicted of heinous crimes, but we didn’t expect it before his inauguration. This danger is real and traumatic for many whose lives are being interrupted and whose future has suddenly changed.
Where have they been taken? How long will they be detained? What if it’s a mistake – part of the “collateral damage” – What will happen to children and families who are left behind?
Elected state politicians appear surprised that CBP agents would have started these unannounced raids of undocumented immigrants. Congressman Jim Costa had this to say:
“Jurisdiction for custom and border protections is delineated in federal law within 100 miles of the border, current county and anything north of Kern County is far from 100 miles of the border.”
State Senator Anna Caballero wondered if all 78 were only criminals, saying:
“What we know is farmworkers have been taken into custody, loaded onto vans at gas stations stores and also at random traffic stops. And we verified because people have called our office and we’ve been able to verify
a lot of this information.”
The UFW (Chavez’s United Farmworker Union) confirmed in a statement:
“UFW union members are among those detained while traveling home from work yesterday in Kern County, CA. We are providing them and their families with support. Random actions like this are not meant to keep anyone safe, they are intended to terrorize hardworking people.’ (January 8, 2025 on X)
Other local elected officials have commented that food processing facilities have reported absences of 15 to 20% of orders will not be filled according to Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez. Schools are also expecting an increase in absences. Some will not be reporting to their farm jobs for fear of being arrested.
“So this whole issue with immigration, quite frankly, was shocking and was not expected this early,” Senator Caballero reportedly said.
The community’s pro-immigrants are responding by organizing several large protests and by training to provide support and document who is doing what to whom. Fear is overwhelming and that is what our government paid agencies are counting on. What kind of freedom are we living if many will prefer to stay home, not go to the grocery store, church services, laundromat, medical appointments, lose their jobs or livelihood that are necessary for their rents, food, gasoline, etc. – or worse, the family to be separated for God knows how long?? Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, has commented that family separation can be prevented if everybody, even U.S. born children, just willingly leave. We are at war!!!
