Heavily immigrant towns and cities in California resemble ghost towns as fear of Ice raids grip local residents

Heavily immigrant towns and cities in California resemble ghost towns as fear of Ice raids grip local residents

At Hector’s Mariscos restaurant in the heavily Latino and immigrant city of Santa Ana, California, sales of Mexican seafood have slid. Seven tables would normally be full, but diners sit at only two this Tuesday afternoon.

“I haven’t seen it like this since Covid,” manager Lorena Marin said in Spanish as cumbia music played on loudspeakers. A US citizen, Marin even texted customers she was friendly with, encouraging them to come in.

“No, I’m staying home,” a customer texted back. “It’s really screwed up out there with all of those immigration agents.”

Increasing immigrant arrests in California have begun to gut-punch the economy and wallets of immigrant families and beyond. In some cases, immigrants with legal status and even US citizens have been swept into Donald Trump’s dragnet.

  • kyub@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    4·
    5 hours ago

    First they came for the Communists
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not a Communist

    Then they came for the Socialists
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not a Socialist

    Then they came for the trade unionists
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not a trade unionist

    Then they came for the Jews
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not a Jew

    Then they came for me
    And there was no one left
    To speak out for me

    — Martin Niemöller

    Adapted for the fascist regime in USA today, it should probably go like this:

    First they came for the illegal immigrants
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not an illegal immigrant

    Then they came for the legal immigrants
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not a legal immigrant

    Then they came for the political opposition
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not in the political opposition

    Then they came for anyone not loyal on social media
    And I did not speak out
    Because I was not on social media

    Then they came for me
    And there was no one left
    To speak out for me

    —Someone who survived what’s to come