This year, havoc and turmoil has lined the streets of Californian communities in the name of immigration reform. The current administration’s immigration crackdown continues to target marginalized communities and working immigrants. These acts may inspire pride and promote a sense of nationalism within some people, but the truth is that communities are being torn apart and remain fearful to even step outside.
Federal agents were seen making discriminatory arrests and detaining people off the streets. President Donald Trump’s administration has caused ripples in the tranquil heat of the season through the deployment of the National Guard and US military within communities of color, allowing for continuous sweeps across the prominent immigrant-rich communities throughout California.
According to the National Immigration Law Center, this year’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will allow for a whopping $170 billion dollars for anti-immigration enforcement, detention and deportation.
The heat of the season has since cooled down, but for countless Californian communities things will remain heated as their lives may face serious disruption and their safety scrutinized.
On Monday, Sept. 8 the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, allowed “roving” federal agents to resume efforts for mass deportation within the counties of Southern California, reported CalMatters. The decision allows the detaining and questioning of people based on race and language.
The decision comes from a lawsuit made in July with the district court addressing federal agents subjecting several plaintiffs to unreasonable search and seizure, as well as being targeted on the basis of their skin while making their arrests.
The SCOTUS decision removes restrictions on immigration enforcement agents when making their stops to question the citizenship of community members, specifically mentioning the counties of Southern California where millions of hardworking communities of immigrants live and work.
This decision only ensures continued efforts for Trump’s promised proposal to take a more forceful stance against illegal entry.
Who is Targeted by the Decision?
The official stay decided by the Supreme Court suspends limits on the federal suspicion of illegal people in public spaces. The concurring opinion presented by Justice Brett Kavanaugh disproportionately targets millions of Southern Californians based on appearance and language proficiency.
The problematic rhetoric targets a diverse array of Latinos and Latino-presenting people who may look Latino though they are not, or who can speak Spanish but are not necessarily of Hispanic origin. Many people of the ethnic diaspora are unreasonably targeted by the decision, and a surge of disruptive behaviors from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, will continue to rattle communities for the sake of immigration crackdown.
Street vendors, butchers, dairy factory workers, field workers, artisans, neighbors and friends could experience their human rights being placed under scrutiny, all the while fearing that the next time they clock into work could very well be their last on American soil.
What Can Advocacy Look Like?
Amparo Cid, an attorney who prides herself on being the daughter of resilient immigrant parents, is motivated to use her professional expertise as an advocate specializing in community impact, specifically for inclusive green spaces and employee rights.
Referring to a small, red copy of the U.S. Constitution that Cid has kept with her for decades, she stated that the decision violated what is written in “the supreme law of the land.” Cid believes that community members in this nation have a responsibility to uphold that supreme law every day.
In the wake of this court decision, it’s clear how important it is to do so, and to make educating ourselves on what is written within the constitution our personal duty to ensure it is better put into practice and prevent further situations like this.
“As a human being, and as an American, if you start to play with what is written here and allow for injustices to stand that go contrary to what is outlined in the U.S. Constitution… that is the most un-American thing you can do,” Cid said.
Everybody is urged to combat the narrative of what the Supreme Court ruling is trying to uphold, preventing the court from abusing their power and disregarding the rights outlined within the Constitution. It is disproportionately unjust for federal agents to be given the authority to follow their own formula on capturing suspicious illegal citizens.
“[Immigrants] have as much of a right to be here and contribute… as anyone on the Supreme Court,” Cid said. “It is up to us as the people to hold the ground irrespective of what the stay orders.”
According to new data from the Prison Policy Initiative, ICE has detained over 800 people every month, with more than half of that number being from random stops at courts, homes and workplaces, affecting thousands of communities.
We are called to recognize the injustice of our neighborhoods being torn apart by deportation, families being separated and people being lost without a trace by the authority of federal agents. There is grave misconduct being perpetuated within the communities of California that needs to be combatted.
Serving as a Community Advocate
In California, the office of the Attorney General Rob Bonta provides Californians with resources to know their rights and report violations, including being the victim of a hate crime and more.
If you think your rights have been violated, you can contact the attorney general’s office to provide information about and document any state or federal violations within your community. The ability to report violations ensures your voice and your experiences have the chance to be heard.
“As a community we need to document, tell their stories and shine a light on the abuses of power and on the illegality of the individuals not following the Constitution and [ensuring] that folks are held accountable. It is not about what happens one day in court, it is about the full arch of the law,” said Cid.
Documentation of these experiences allows others to know what encounters like ICE stops and immigration raids look like, enabling them to be better equipped to handle the situation, remain calm and advocate for themselves when their rights are under jeopardy. It is crucial to document every ICE encounter for exactly this reason.
When we educate one another, when we lean on one another and when we stand up for one another, that will hold a heavier weight than any unjust decision that could ever be made. Historically, those in power have successfully disregarded the rights of marginalized communities, and now more than ever we have a duty to protect our neighbors regardless of their background. Every day their rights as humans are under scrutiny by an opposition that abuses their power and are actively working to strip away their legitimacy as our neighbors and members of our community.
“There is always hope, and it is up to all of us that in the darkest of times, we shine a light – that we lift one another up and we call out what is wrong standing on solid ground,” said Cid.
