Local reaction to the anti-ICE protests in L.A.
Adrik Vargas
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – The protests and immigration raids are hitting close to home in the Imperial Valley, where locals have some strong opinions.
In a region with a large immigrant community, some locals say the tension seen in Los Angeles and across the state have them concerned.
Others feel the protests, while important, need to stay peaceful to protect the cause.
“I mean we’re not just gonna go and start burning and making all this mess. For me, it doesn’t feel fair. It’s not good ’cause you’re just making it worse for the people who do not have legal documents,” said Jaime Flores, a local resident.
Others say the raids themselves are necessary and the protests shouldn’t be happening.
“I just think we need to keep it up, we need to keep going, we need to safe and securely remove the people that need to be removed, and the people that don’t need to be removed can remain here in America,” Kimberly, another local resident.
Some activists in the Imperial Valley, like Raul Ureña, say local leaders should be speaking up.
“I think it is unfortunate that political leaders in the Imperial Valley are not talking enough about this issue, they are staying silent,” Ureña expressed.
Ureña believes that silence sends the wrong message in a region where immigrants make up a large part of the community.
“A majority of the Imperial Valley are either sons of immigrants or immigrants themselves. To not take a public stance on this issue as a mayor of Calexico, El Centro, etc, is to say that the issues affecting a big part of the imperial valley do not matter to them,” Ureña added.
The protests and immigration raids continue and in the Imperial Valley, so does the conversation.