'Siente mucho miedo': Potential ICE raids spark fear in San Francisco's Mission District

Lyanne Melendez Image
Friday, July 12, 2019
Potential ICE raids spark fear in SF's Mission District
A neighborhood that for years has voiced its contempt for inequality is now hiding behind a real threat of government deportations.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are reportedly back on in the Bay Area and across the country and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is asking church leaders to appeal to President Donald Trump to put them off again. The president first tweeted June 17 that he would begin removing people here illegally the following week. But on June 22, he said he would hold off for two weeks. The New York Times reported late Wednesday night that the raids are rescheduled for this Sunday.

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Now neighborhood that for years has voiced its contempt for inequality is hiding behind a real threat of government deportations.

Ask anyone, anywhere, anytime how people in the Mission District are feeling and you get the expected answer.

"Siente mucho miedo de las deportaciones," says Isidro Carlos Valdez in his native Spanish. He has lived in the U.S. for 40 years and says there is a real fear of deportations.

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"The intention behind it is to keep our community or undocumented folks to keep them indoors to scare them from going outside and continuing their lives but they have to continue their lives," explained Alexis Terrazas, editor-in-chief of the local newspaper El Tecolote.

That's why the newspaper is now focusing less on the fear factor and more on providing information on resources for the community.

The Trump administration says ICE will target as many as one million people in the country who have been given deportation orders by federal judges.

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"Who have been served papers and were supposed to appear in court and have disappeared so it's not like they are walking down the street and grabbing people off the street," said Howard Epstein, Vice-Chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed says a hotline has been set up for those concerned about the possible raids.

"We stand by our communities as a sanctuary city regardless of what is happening with our federal government," she said. That means police will not cooperate with ICE agents.

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Word on the street is that "la migra" is coming, some say as early as this Sunday.

Valdez told me if ICE agents come for him, he's be ready to tell them, "Here I am."

See more stories on ICE and immigration.