By Madison Ibarra
In our 2.4 square mile city, which is predominantly home to Latino communities, everyone living in the Valley hears stories daily about ICE detaining one of our own. Immediately, upon opening Facebook or Instagram, you see live feeds of another Hispanic individual recording near the corner of Truman Street and San Fernando Road as a family member is detained. The exact road I constantly drive to pick up my little brother from daycare is the same road where families are being torn apart. This proximity brings a wave of anger and fear. Within our culture, we stand for and with our people. We constantly tell each other, “En la union esta la fuerza (In unity there is strength).” Yet, a lack of local resources and unclear information makes it easy to sit back, watch the recordings, and feel too powerless to act.
Currently, this independent city is witnessing more families being separated and traumatized by the realities of immigration enforcement. Working at a local middle school, I see how this directly impacts my students. Many of them live in San Fernando and have either witnessed or heard about ICE detaining a loved one. Hearing their stories, I see a deep fear and pain that keeps them from being able to focus in school. While our community is built on the shoulders of the hardest-working Latino individuals who will provide for their families no matter the circumstances, everything shatters the moment a household breadwinner is suddenly taken away, causing survival mode to kick in. Consequently, individuals living in this state of constant stress and fear experience a severe emotional toll and financial burden. Knowing this, it is our job to stand for our people and not let fear keep us from using our voice.
Fortunately, at the Business and Community Resource Center on Macneil Street, anyone can walk in to receive information and guidance on next steps. The city initially did its part by launching the “San Fernando Together” initiative, partnering with local non-profits like Home Again LA to provide families affected by federal enforcement with an emergency $500 fund to cover basic needs like rent, bills, and food. However, this support is now under immediate threat. Rather than protecting this vital resource, the city council is actively trying to eliminate the program completely.
This initiative isn’t just a temporary safety net; it’s a critical stepping stone that opens the door to the deeper mental health resources our community deserves. Living under the constant threat of deportation carries an overwhelming emotional and financial burden, creating a fear that often makes families hesitant to trust outside help or local government, driving them further into isolation. When federal enforcement tears a family apart, it leaves behind profound psychological trauma. Stabilizing a family financially is the first necessary step to break through that fear, giving them the security they need to safely access sustained trauma-informed care. By attempting to defund this program, the council isn’t just cutting a check; they are blocking a vital pathway to the emotional well-being and healing our community urgently needs to survive.
A one-time financial check was always a temporary measure, but defunding the program entirely is a step backward. This defensive battle comes at a time when city leaders are also voting to remove any initiatives or funding related to Hispanic Holidays and cultural events. Our local Hispanic communities naturally refrain from participating in municipal events if they are living in fear of ICE enforcement. If our community doesn’t feel represented or supported, that trust evaporates entirely. If our city leaders cannot see what this community looks like when we feel safe, the proof was recently shown when hundreds of families united in San Fernando to watch the World Cup game downtown. That is exactly what true pride and resilience are about. Erasing cultural programming while simultaneously stripping away emergency aid only deepens isolation and distrust.
As our city leaders gather to finalize upcoming municipal priorities, they must remember that San Fernando is an independent city shaped by generations that have built its history. Protecting our community must come first. Instead of retreating, city leaders must measure our community’s strength by how we use our voice to protect our most vulnerable neighbors. We urge San Fernando to reject these cuts and invest in concrete protections, including funding local food banks and establishing San Fernando as a true sanctuary city. “En la unión está la fuerza.” Let us choose resilience over fear.
Madison Ibarra is a graduate student at the University of Southern California She has a Master degree in Social Work (MSW).
