This Wednesday, October 29th, around 5:00 a.m. at the intersection of A Street and Palm Drive, ICE agents conducted another raid in the Oxnard community, creating confusion, anger, and widespread despair among residents of the city and surrounding areas. The scene resembled a war zone, with approximately 50 masked ICE agents, an armored truck (of the type used in combat), several helicopters circling overhead, and at least a dozen unmarked vehicles apparently conducting a search in small houses in the area, where only a couple of working-class families reside.
The ICE raid resulted in the arrest of four hardworking individuals who were on their way to work in the fields harvesting strawberries. Another person was arrested as ICE agents prepared to withdraw and fired tear gas at the people who had gathered during the operation to demand justice and mercy for the working people the agents were taking.
“They had an elderly woman in the street in the cold morning, and it was clear that the poor old woman was terrified to see so many uniformed, armed, and even masked men,” Juan Fernández told VIDA newspaper.
“This morning’s raid, as we were informed, was because they had an arrest warrant for a person who wasn’t even located during the raid, and as we were also informed, they didn’t even show it to anyone,” Leonardo Martínez, a volunteer with VC Defensa, told the VIDA newspaper.
This is another operation in Ventura County, similar to the one on July 10 in the Camarillo area, which resulted in the apprehension of more than 360 migrants of various nationalities, including Mexicans. In the Camarillo raid, a man named Jaime Alanís García, of Mexican origin, lost his life as a result of the operation, falling from a building more than 30 feet high while trying to flee from ICE agents.
“It is outrageous that these ICE agents come to our community to separate families and leave others without the means to continue living with dignity. My office receives hundreds of calls daily seeking support for these honest workers who have only come to work in our community. My heart and my support is with them,” said Vianey López, Supervisor of the 5th District in Ventura County, at the time.
“It breaks my heart to see these immigration officers come into our community and disrupt the peace. These people they are coming to deport are hardworking people who are a vital part of our community. They are humble, hardworking people who make our economy thrive. They are the people who put food on our tables, build our homes, and take care of our children. The local police are not supporting these raids or cooperating with immigration. If local police officers are present at any point, it is to protect our first responders and maintain order,” said Oxnard Mayor Luis A. McArthur at the time.