Activists across Sacramento to Modesto said for the immigrant communities they work with, the fear is very real.
Author: Lena Howland
Published: 6:53 PM PDT July 14, 2019
Updated: 7:03 PM PDT July 14, 2019
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the country were expected on Sunday, fear ran high across Northern California.
The supposed raids were said to target some 2,000 undocumented families who've gotten final deportation orders.
Sacramento was not one of the communities being targeted in this operation, neither was Stockton or Modesto, but that doesn't mean the news Wasn't frightening for a lot of people. Activists across these communities said for the immigrant communities they work with, the fear was very real.
"Everyday it's hard," Antonio Campos, a Sacramento Area Congregations Together Board Member said.
From Sacramento to Stockton, the fear in the region has reached a new high.
"This area, it's a very big concern in the community," Luis Magana, an immigrant advocate for migrant workers said. "They feel like any moment they will knock on the door, at any moment, in the morning when they're leaving for work, at 4 or 5 a.m. someone is outside waiting to arrest them."
As fears of ICE raids all over the country lingered on Sunday, Magana spent the day staking out Stockton's ICE facility on San Juan Avenue.
"So, any movement I report to the community, the movement in this office and people are feeling like there's nothing wrong happening, they can go to shop and go to church and they can go to the park with their family," he said.
He says things were surprisingly quiet at the facility and he didn't see any big black vans or many vehicles coming or going.
"I don't think we are doing nothing wrong, just to protect the rights, protect the environment of the community and maintain united," he said.
Up in Sacramento, advocates from the Sacramento Area Congregations Together, a group representing 14 different religions across the community, spent the day going church-to-church handing out information on what to do if you are contacted by ICE.
"We are spread through the town passing the number and giving the little pamphlets in case they come in touch with any ICE agent," Campos said.
Even during their interview ABC10, multiple families approached Campos for help outside of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
"Stay calm and don't be worried about it, just stay focused on keeping on like always, behave and that's it," he said.
It is a fear he knows all too well and something he said doesn't go away until you become a citizen.
"I was undocumented for 24 years. I was on the waiting list for 21 years and I just got my green card three months ago and every single day, all opportunity, your family, your house can be done in one day," he said.