On Father’s Day, June 16, just after 8 a.m., six cars with about eight federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents surrounded three men outside the Cork n’ Jug liquor store on the corner of Truman Street and San Fernando Road.
“Todos andaron tapados, [they were all covered up],” one of the men, who asked only to be identified as ‘Kiké’, told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. “At first, we thought they were police.”
None of the vehicles had identifying plaques or labels, he said, but the agents were dressed in black vests that read “ICE” on them and their faces were fully covered.
“The first thing they asked us was, ‘Where are you from?’” said Kiké. “They didn’t believe I was born here.”
The agents then asked Kiké and his friend for identification, and further questioned him about which hospital he was born in. Once ICE confirmed that the two men were here legally, they were left alone.
The third man who was outside the liquor store was detained, said Kiké, who said that two other people were arrested by agents down the street.
San Fernando Police Department (SFPD) Commander CJ Chiasson said they were aware of ICE presence in the city on Sunday, but do not have information regarding any confirmed arrests by federal authorities.
Federal agents were in the city as early as 6 a.m. on Sunday, claimed a Denny’s employee, who said one entered the restaurant to use the restroom.
Chaisson confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was staging their operation at a county-owned parking lot near the San Fernando Courthouse on Sunday. He further confirmed that federal immigration agents were present on Kewen Street in San Fernando early Monday morning.
Residents have reported increased ICE presence throughout the weekend, in the Northeast Valley areas of Sun Valley, Mission Hills, Pacoima and the City of San Fernando. This has impacted local businesses, including the San Fernando Swap Meet, which is usually a bustling scene, was virtually empty last week.
The increased federal presence comes a week after federal agents started mass raids across Los Angeles County, which have prompted continuous protests in downtown and throughout the Southland.
Concerned Residents Address San Fernando City Council
At Monday’s City Council meeting in San Fernando, Vice Mayor Mary Solorio raised a discussion regarding city protocol on prohibiting ICE from entering or operating on city-owned property without a valid signed judicial warrant.
Several local residents spoke during the public comment period to express their worry and concern about ICE, asking the council members sitting at the dais if there was anything that could be done.
Sergio Amalfitano, owner of The Midnight Hour Records, suggested holding classes or a symposium to inform people of their rights, but ultimately asked what was the point of paying taxes and having laws in California if ICE was free to “kidnap our friends and family.
“I don’t know what the answer is, obviously, because you’re going against the federal government, but we have our own civil rights, ethics [and] laws,” Amalfitano said. “So if you could uphold them in some way, shape or form, I would really appreciate it. At this point, everybody’s just scared. Everybody’s just worried.”
Zayurit Gordillo-Lopez, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, has lived in the City of San Fernando for years. While she thanked the council for passing a resolution back in April aimed at protecting immigrants, while avoiding a sanctuary city designation, she said that it’s time for communities to start creating action plans, and the City of San Fernando is the best place to start due to its small size and resourcefulness.
She said the city sends out alerts when there is a street closure or a local emergency, so why couldn’t they do the same for immigration raids? While she knows they can’t interfere physically, she said it’s getting to the point that knowing your rights isn’t enough “because we have no rights right now,” she continued.
“What I want from you guys, what I would want from the community, for myself, is prevention,” Gordillo-Lopez said. “I do believe that we have the resources to keep each other safe, and I think if you guys don’t step up, the community will do that for you.”
When constituent Sabrina Rivera came to speak, the emotion could be heard in her voice as she talked about how her community is too scared to go to work, take their children to school or buy groceries. She added that they are not criminals, but people who have lived there for years, pay taxes and contribute to the community, but ICE showing up in unmarked cars is creating fear and chaos.
“We’ve seen online and in the news that even when people comply, they are still being hurt,” Rivera said, choking back tears. “What about the people who don’t have family to support them? What about the parents who have younger children and no one to take them to school or care for them if something happens? What about the workers who can’t afford to miss a shift but are too afraid to step outside?
“Yes, I understand that laws exist, but our community is being targeted and left in the dark,” she continued. “There needs to be accountability, transparency and production. I’m here speaking for them because they deserve to be here too.”
Local Businesses Offer Help
While the city appears unable to develop meaningful solutions to support its fear-stricken residents, businesses within the City of San Fernando have begun rallying around its immigrant community.
On June 13, The Midnight Hour Records in the San Fernando Mall provided “protest kits” for free to anyone planning to participate in the numerous demonstrations and rallies held during the weekend, including the No Kings protests that drew in millions nationwide. Those kits contained items like bottled water, snacks, N95 masks, gloves and band aids.
A couple of stores away, at Museo Del Valle in the back of Cry Baby’s Rodeo, a community photo art installation is growing, where people can find emotional support and a venue to display pictures of relatives who immigrated to the United States. Called “Raizes y Sueños,” “Roots & Dreams,” the installation was started by Michelle Elisa Lima to pay homage to her mother, who immigrated to the City of San Fernando, and the community to focus on the “beauty” of immigration rather than fear.
The installation at Museo Del Valle is ongoing and open Friday through Sunday at 1109 San Fernando Rd.
The next San Fernando City Council meeting will be held on Monday, July 7.
We can’t have eight billion people in America.