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DOWNEY, Calif. () — Community outrage is growing in Downey over recent federal immigration raids.
Residents are making their voices heard after multiple incidents over the weekend, including one where two landscapers were seen struggling with federal agents on Saturday morning.
New video of an attempted immigration detention in Downey as tensions remain high across the country following the deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
After neighbors came outside, the two landscapers were released, and the agents drove away. Neighbors say one of the landscapers has a green card and has lived in the U.S. for 40 years. The other has a valid work permit that he was carrying on him at the time.
In addition to the incident with the landscapers, the Department of Homeland Security said “11 illegal aliens from Mexico and El Salvador that have all broken the immigration laws of the nation” were taken into custody in a targeted immigration operation in Downey over the weekend. Video shows ICE activity at a Downey Home Depot on Saturday.
Recent ICE activity has been reported in Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, Downey and Highland Park.
Now, anger and frustration are mounting in the community. Protesters made their voices heard on Tuesday, demanding an end to the divisive immigration enforcement, and also demanding that the city council take a stand in the fight and demand that ICE leave immediately.
Tuesday’s protest began on busy Firestone Boulevard before the group marched to Downey City Hall for the city council meeting.
The recent operations are leaving families caught in the middle.
Eyewitness News met Erica Gallardo, a mother of two young boys — 4 and 9 years old. Her partner and the boys’ father, Ademir Ramas, was taken into custody on Saturday while working a landscaping job in Pico Rivera.
Ramas, who is from Guatemala, has been in the country for 20 years and first entered on a work visa.
With Ramas in custody, it’s especially hard for Gallardo, who has cerebral palsy. Ramas is the backbone of the family, not only financially, but also doing all of the physical tasks like laundry and grocery shopping due to Gallardo’s disability.
“It’s like a nightmare. It’s a nightmare just — you think that he’s going to walk through the door, and he’s not.” Gallardo said.
The boy’s school set up a GoFundMe to help the family with essentials and to help them get an attorney.
Ramos is now being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
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