Yesterday, June 11, people gathered at Window on the Bay in Monterey for a last-minute rally to protest against immigrant raids and militarization. For the past seven days, there have been demonstrations in Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided areas across Southern California. Tensions have escalated in the city.
Celia Jiménez here, noting that the anti-raid sentiment has spread nationwide, including Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston and more. More demonstrations, under the banner of “No Kings in America,” are happening on Saturday, June 14 in Salinas and Monterey.
Many times when we read or hear about deportations, they sound far away. But sometimes they are very close to home. Last week, a hospitality worker from Seaside didn't go home or show up to work after going to San Francisco for an in-person immigration check-in.
His name is Juan Carlos Portillo.
Portillo, an asylum seeker from El Salvador and a manager at Wild Fish in Pacific Grove, was detained on June 4, according to Liz Jacobs, co-owner of the restaurant.
Jacobs says she knew something was wrong with Portillo when he didn’t show up to work the same day.
“It feels sometimes like you're really far away from the rest of the world and it just really came home. It just was such a terrible shock,” Jacobs says.
Blanca Zarazua, a Salinas-based immigration lawyer, said in-person check-ins with immigration officials and at courthouse appearances have resulted in detentions.
“We’ve seen a huge uptick with respect to those appearances,” Zarazua said on June 11 during a County of Monterey news briefing.
Jacobs says Portillo called her from the detention center, and said he was OK.
“I could tell from his voice that he's very shaken…he's really hoping that he'll have a good outcome, but he said they're just deporting everybody,” Jacob says.
Portillo has lived in the U.S. for 25 years. His absence is impacting his family and work. Portillo was the primary caretaker of his son with autism. Jacobs says Wild Fish won’t open during lunch until July and they might have to close the restaurant for a week.
Portillo’s detention hasn’t been the only one in recent days. On Tuesday, June 10 in Soledad, a person was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a “targeted” operation, according to Supervisor Chris Lopez.
That detention sparked a lot of rumors on social media with people alleging there were raids at Taylor Farms in Salinas or ICE checkpoints on major streets, creating fear and confusion.
The Rapid Response Network, a volunteer organization that deploys legal observers to ICE activity, debunked those rumors and asked the public to share information after being verified.
“The Solidarity Network has driven up and down from the Salinas Valley today, June 10, in an attempt to confirm rumors of ICE presence. No ICE roadblocks on Davis or Williams or Old Stage Road,” RRN shared on social media.
Zarazua also shared various recommendations in English and Spanish, including having an emergency plan and a signed G-28 form, which informs the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services you have a lawyer or legal representation.
Residents can access information, resources and videos on the county’s website. They can also pick up red cards at various county locations, including Monterey County Free Libraries branches.
“We need to prepare for the worst and for each other for support,” Zarazua said.
“For me, it's not about politics. It's not about the left or the right, it's just about standing together with other people,” Jacobs says.
She adds several people have contacted her after learning about Portillo’s detention. Supporters launched a GoFundMe fundraiser that so far has raised more than $2,000.
Whether the clash between those for and against deportation is happening in downtown L.A. or at our dinner tables, there is something we shouldn’t forget: The people being taken away are members of our community, and it will impact all of us, emotionally and financially.