Activists claim racial profiling and coercion as over 200 immigrants are detained in unannounced raids.
Day Laborers Denounce the Detention of 200 Migrants in Surprise Raids in California
Civil organizations report immigration raids in California’s Central Valley, where around 200 day laborers were arrested, sparking fear and accusations of racial discrimination in the community
Civil organizations have reported that nearly 200 immigrants, most of them farmworkers, were detained in surprise immigration raids in California’s Central Valley, a major agricultural area in the United States.
The United Farm Workers (UFW) also denounced “racial discrimination” during the operation, carried out by immigration agents who traveled over 500 kilometers—outside their jurisdictions—to make the arrests last week.
On January 7 and 8, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) took the Bakersfield community by surprise with operations conducted without prior warning.
The actions caused widespread confusion because CBP agents are authorized to conduct warrantless searches of vehicles within 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) of any border or international maritime route—but Bakersfield is located inland in California’s Central Valley, far from the Pacific Coast.
After the backlash, CBP stated in a release that it deployed at least 60 officers for an operation focused on detaining undocumented individuals with criminal records.
“We know this was not a targeted operation (against undocumented immigrants with criminal records) as described by the head of the Border Patrol,” said Ambar Tovar, Legal Services Director at the UFW Foundation, in a press conference.
Tovar explained they reached that conclusion after speaking with some released immigrants and witnesses to the raids, which took place at a gas station, a Home Depot parking lot, and various day laborer gathering spots.
“This was an operation driven by racial profiling,” emphasized Tovar, adding that arrests began along Highway 99—a route commonly used by farmworkers to travel to and from the fields.
In its statement, CBP claimed to have made 78 arrests, but UFW sources say the number could exceed 200, including 50 Mexican nationals who agreed to leave the country without fighting their cases.
Tovar warned that immigration authorities are “intimidating and coercing” detainees into signing voluntary departures, effectively waiving their right to immigration court hearings.
The raids have caused widespread fear and disruption in communities already dealing with threats of mass deportations by President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, set to take office next Monday.
“Since last Tuesday, January 7, the UFW has been flooded with calls from workers in Kern County asking for help and guidance after the raids,” said Arelí Arteaga, UFW’s Political Director.
At least two union members were detained and deported to Mexico. Both were farmworkers with minor children.
“In both cases, it’s a family of farmworkers who lost a father, a husband, and the primary breadwinner. This is the heartbreaking reality,” added Arteaga.
Meanwhile, Antonio De Loera-Brust, UFW’s Communications Director, warned that such raids have a “chilling effect” on workplaces and will negatively impact the region’s economy.
The UFW and ACLU have not ruled out taking legal action against CBP.
For now, both organizations have launched educational campaigns about immigrant rights.
“Just because the Border Patrol detains you doesn’t mean it’s game over,” said De Loera-Brust. “You can wait for a legal process in which you have the right to appear before a judge.”
