By Ana Mata, Daily Journal staff
Nov 1, 2024
As Election Day approaches and nerves rise, local leaders gathered in front of the mural at Casa Circulo Cultural in North Fair Oaks to assure their support for the immigrant community and dispel fears of rising enforcement.
At a press conference held Oct. 31, state Sen. Josh Becker, D-Menlo Park, spoke to the threats of mass deportation at the national level and how immigration has become key platform points for those seeking votes.
“I don’t know what will happen next Tuesday, I don’t,” Becker said. “I recognize that I don’t have all the answers, but I also recognize that words matter, and that the words ‘mass deportation’ are words that strike fear, they strike terror.”
Becker cowrote Senate Bill 537, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, which will memorialize the mass deportation of Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants during the 1930s. The “Mexican Repatriation Program” led to the forced deportation of nearly 2 million people across the country, including an estimated 400,000 people from California alone.
The threat of mass deportation is not a thing to be taken lightly, Becker said.
“We know what has happened before in this country, we know what could happen, and we’re here to stand up and share your voices and say let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Becker said.
Antonio López, the mayor of East Palo Alto, emphasized “this isn’t, unfortunately, just something we read about in our textbooks.”
Growing up in North Fair Oaks, Maggie Corenjo, a member of the Redwood City Planning Commission, said she can remember many parents deported in the early 2000s because many were not aware of their rights or the resources available.
“I have seen firsthand the pain, the suffering and the generational trauma caused by deportations,” Cornejo said. “I have generational trauma caused by deportations.”
The immigrant community makes up a third of the county population, and for Redwood City Councilmember Alicia Aguirre, they make up many of the students she teaches at Cañada College.
“They are here to work hard, they value what they have here,” Aguirre said. “For me to think their families could be gone with mass deportation is crushing, not only because of what they bring, but also because of how they are part of our communities.”
Support for the local immigrant community was underscored at Board of Supervisors meeting Oct. 22, when Supervisor Ray Mueller asked for expanded outreach and education of what resources are available.
Initiatives include workshops providing immigrants information about their legal protections and right to due process, partnerships with legal service providers, and its 24/7 legal assistance through the Rapid Response Network.
“We cannot allow fear and misinformation to dictate the lives of our immigrant families,” Mueller said in a statement. “This outreach plan, combined with legal support and stronger communication, will help ensure that our residents feel safe, supported and informed about their rights.”
Regardless of who is elected president, these resources and the reminder of support from local leaders will continue to be needed, Cornejo said.
“This is history that continues to happen regardless of what leadership we’re on at the federal level,” Cornejo said. “This is an issue that continues to be a big source of fear in our community so it’s that reminder that the support is so important.”
Becker reiterated that words lead to action, and reminded residents to make their voices heard through the ballot.
“We hear these words, we know it’s not just rhetoric,” Becker said. “This has happened before and we’re here to make sure nobody feels that pain again.”
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