The New York Times reports I.C.E. raids will begin Sunday. Thousands of undocumented immigrants will reportedly be arrested, including those who may not be targeted but happen to be on the scene. The agency originally planned to complete the arrests in ten cities last month. However, President trump delayed that operation. Officials told the New York Times they will try not to split-up detained families. The news of future raids are causing concern in the community, and although the raids may officially start come Sunday, one family says, I.C.E. took one of their family members just days ago. Samantha Rodriguez, a 15 year-old immigrants’ rights activist, tells NBC Palm Springs she witnessed two people being taken this morning outside of the Stater Brothers in Cathedral City.
“Panic, fear, I think it’s not really fair,” Rodriguez said while describing what she saw.
Certainly sentiments that she says are echoed within the community after President Trump announced that thousands of undocumented immigrants nationwide will be targeted by I.C.E. on Sunday.
“It’s going to be hard for us because we are losing a big portion of our people…and like half of this country is built by us.”
Witnessing raids isn’t new to Samantha, as one of her family members was taken by I.C.E. on his way to work on July 9th.
“Just to get picked up out of nowhere. We don’t even know where he’s at right now. We don;t know if he is in good condition. If he is safe. If they are feeding him correctly. They don’t really let us call him. It’s just a tragedy.”
Nevertheless, while it may be a tragedy for her and a soon to be reality for thousands of people across the nation.
“It’s sad because some of them are actually hard workers. Not like rapists like he says. It is just like one of those things like, where do you get all this from,” she added.
Actions, Samantha says are tearing families apart and though the raids are supposed to start on Sunday, she assures they’re already starting in cathedral city.
“There was a police…and like their badges of like the ICE is really small now so you can’t see them. So they got out and they took two people.”
All in all, these raids have become trend that she hopes will stop, in order to restore peace of mind in her community.
“I’ve tried to do everything I can to save my people and I have hope that one day people will stop and it will go back to normal.”
Protests are being planned outside of ice offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, which are two of the cities that will be targeted on Sunday.
