I was doing my weekend jog on the beach path last Saturday, when I crossed underneath the Santa Monica Pier and was greeted with an eerily familiar site. Similar to my training runs in February, the volleyball courts were empty. A tournament that was part of Pride on the Pier had been canceled along with events throughout Los Angeles County, most notably CicLAvia, as event planners grapple with safety issues as they are unable to guarantee safety from the para-military bounty hunters empowered by the federal government to kidnap people of hispanic descent.
It reminded me of the runs after we were cleared for outdoor exercise following the January Palisades Fire. As we were given the ok to run well before the beaches were open, the runs were quiet and almost joyless.
Of course, this time it’s not a natural disaster that has sucked the joy out of the region. This time it’s one that our own government has decided to inflict on us.
While I am safe from federal harassment for now because of my skin color, I am able to chronicle the impact of this dramatic federal overreach on our day to day lives.
Restaurants are empty, or at least emptier than usual.
Community events are cancelled that are designed to create joy, and support communities. Even as I type this, news has broken that two cities are cancelling their 4th of July celebrations.
Sometimes, people you know vanish. Sometimes you get a heads up, sometimes not.
The federal presence has created a sense of unease, anger, and frustration for people like me, and terror for people with darker skin.
There was a family we’ve done martial arts with for years. The kids are citizens of the United States, the parents were working through the system. One day the parents decided it wasn’t worth the risk of living here anymore, and so they packed up and left. Another family of Mexican descent I know, three generations of American citizens, made a similar decision and are planning a move later this year.
And I don’t think they are overreacting one bit. The easiest of web searches bring up dozens of stories of masked, armed, and anonymous bounty hunters barging into private property and kidnapping people working or visiting there. More often than not, the people they are snatching are documented residents of the United States or here seeking asylum. Sometimes they are citizens. Rarely are they any sort of threat.
If one gets their news from Elon’s disinformation website or even national media, they are getting a distorted view. Twitter/X continues to misrepresent what is happening by boosting posts celebrating the arrest of “illegals,” even if statistics show that’s not what’s happening. The national news is “both sides”ing the issue by giving equal time to people who are intentionally mis-representing what’s happening here.
For anyone reading this from outside of the area, here’s what’s really happening:
How ICE is Disrupting Public Health in Southern California, Los Angeles Times
People Are Afraid, But They Still Have to Work, Los Angeles Times
20-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Arrested By Federal Police, Fired By Walmart After Release, LA Taco
US Citizen Arrested During Ice Raid in What Family Describes as ‘Kidnapping’, Guardian
How to Prepare if a Parent or Legal Guardian is Detained or Deported, LA Public Press
Metro Responds to Issues Resulting from ICE Raids and Protests, Streetsblog LA
If you live here you know. Even if a magic wand were waved and the bounty hunters just vanished, the actions of the government have created deep scars of distrust that will live for generations. I can’t imagine the long-term impacts this self-inflicted disaster will have for our country, but right now I’m not grieving for my country…I’m grieving for my friends and neighbors whose lives have been crushed.
But we’re not helpless. If you don’t live here, you may not have a magic wand but you do have something that we don’t: a Member of Congress and a Senator that likely isn’t already pushing back as loudly or as consistently as the ones that represent the people that are from here. Give them a call. Tell them what you know.
If you are from here, there are things you can do if you see an ICE raid happening, or if they are targeting you, you have rights! Learn them. If the agents refuse to identify themselves, give the local police a call and report a kidnapping.
Regardless of where you live, there are mutual aid opportunities. At Streetsblog LA, they discussed how to help the street vendors (of all immigration statuses) that are staying home out of fear of being locked up. If you’d rather support legal aid, or homeless prevention, or any of the other myriad support groups; a group that needs your help is just a web search away.
