As Mother’s Day draws near, I give thanks for a beautiful daughter who is always by my side. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many of our fellow community members.
Last week, Kings Beach experienced an immigration raid by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The stories are heart wrenching: mothers ripped from their homes, leaving families torn and weak because they could not produce proper documentation.
A highly educated, dedicated, and hardworking community volunteer was taken early Tuesday morning to the panic and horror of her three young children. On this Mother’s Day, they will be without the one woman who provides guidance, love, peace, and nurturance like no one else can.
Where is the heart in our government policies? When will we learn that tolerance begins on our own soil with our friends and neighbors?
~ Monica Caldari
What Would They Feel?
When everything seems to be at peace in this town, it changes completely. After noon, the streets and shops appear so quiet because yet again Immigration has appeared, ransacking and watching each person who awoke only with the thought of all they had to do for their family that day. But everything changes when these people who work for these agencies don’t think in the same manner. And without thought they pick up people, handcuff them, and, in that moment, it will be the finale of these people who will no longer be able to see or be near to their most cherished ones, leaving a gaping hole and sadness in the big and small alike. Not being able to understand why this happened, if the only crime was in working and struggling day to day with two hands, without harming anyone else. If they could only put themselves in ‘their’ place for only half a second, what would they feel or think in this moment?
~ M. Luna
Sad and Desperate
It was a normal day when everyone gets up early to go to work then is filled with the shock that Immigration is lurking about this small town and is taking away many people from the bus stops.
When it is known that Immigration is here, the entire town saddens because they take away the women who must leave their little children to pure suffering alone. Perhaps they are left with their fathers, but I think that the mother is the most important for the children. They also take many people who work honorably. And the delinquents they leave behind. I think of all the people who are sad like me. I see my neighbors sad and worried because of what is happening and what could happen in the future.
I give thanks to God that I am ok; me and my family.
But we also have family and friends who are not documented and that worries me. Today was a day that Immigration came, and my blood pressure is very bad. I feel sad and desperate.
~ S.
No Compassion
I have been here almost 17 years. I have a problem when Immigration comes to town. I become very nervous because they have no compassion towards the people who have small children. Immigration doesn’t care if women are pregnant or have small children and separate them from their parents. I also heard from various families where the police would knock on the doors and Immigration would enter to arrest the people inside the house. I am outraged by all that happens when Immigration comes to town. We should have more information about our rights.
~ Veronica D.
Children Left Alone
I want to share with you what happened last Tuesday when Immigration came to the town of Kings Beach. I woke up because the phone rang at 6:30 a.m. It was my neighbor to let me know the agents of immigration were here. I was very scared. I called my brother to pick me up. A while ago my nephew lived where I live now and he received a deportation order at my address. He went to see a lawyer, but it did not help. He moved to another house, but this time, unfortunately, they took him, his wife, and oldest son away, which left his 13- and 17-year-old sons alone.
Now I feel very sad because they left two kids without their parents. The 13-year-old is with me. Sometimes his eyes are staring into space, and he misses his parents. Sometimes he cries out. We try to talk to him about something funny to make him smile and forget his worries.
~ R.
Where is the Humanity?
I was born in Los Angeles. My family is from Michoacán, Mexico. Thanks to God my family has green cards, but I can’t believe all the things about Immigration. This is so sad. So many people are good, and Immigration is deporting parents and leaving children alone here, leaving families broken.
Where is the humanity of people?
All those people came here out of necessity, not for fun.
I know a family that ‘la migra’ took away the mother and left behind three children and the father.
As a citizen I feel disillusioned with the system of my country. The lack of humanity saddens me deeply.
~ Maria
