Fear and worry have continued to grow across Kern County following reports of sightings and unannounced raids by immigration enforcement and Border Patrol over the past month. This week, community members and students in Taft, CA shared that they are living in constant fear due to the potential for detention or arrest by immigration authorities, causing uncertainty and disruptions in their daily lives.
The concerns grew stronger after early last Sunday morning when Telemundo Fresno reported that a group of farm workers was stopped by alleged federal authorities while on their way to work. The officers, reportedly wearing DEA (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) vests, pulled them over at a red light in a vehicle with sirens.
One officer claimed the men “matched the description of a criminal” they were looking for. The officers attempted to have the workers get out of their car, but they refused to exit the vehicle, according to the article. Members from Faith in the Valley (an immigrant rights organization) arrived at the scene and questioned the legitimacy of the stop.
The agents reportedly stopped a vehicle, took advantage of the doors unlocking when the car was turned off, and opened the doors themselves. But after some time, the officers left.
Daniel Rodela, Community Organizer for Faith in the Valley, was one of those members who arrived at the scene Sunday morning in Taft and spoke to Kern Sol News about the incident. He claimed that racial profiling was the primary reason for the stop. The farm workers told Daniel if he and his team did not arrive at the scene they believed they would have been detained and arrested.
Rodela said when ICE agents stopped them, the workers were pressured to step out of their vehicle, but instead of complying, they used the red cards to assert their constitutional rights. The cards provide clear information on a person’s rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to refuse entry without a warrant signed by a judge. They are meant to be handed to an officer as a way to invoke these rights without having to engage, helping to prevent unlawful searches, questioning, or detainment verbally.
Rodela said one worker simply tossed the red card through the window, signaling that they knew they had the right to remain silent and not comply with unlawful demands. This seemed to catch the agents off guard, as they questioned “Who gave you these red cards?” and said they seemed frustrated that the workers were refusing to comply.
“If it wouldn’t have been for the red cards and the quick training we gave them, they probably would have caved in, stepped out, and been taken. Even if they felt they could have done better, the cards gave them the confidence to stand their ground,” Rodela said.
Rodela said the workers were in shock and fear during the stop, believing that their worst fears were becoming a reality. They told him they thought, “I guess this is it. This is what we’ve been fearing, and now it’s happening.” However, when they realized that the agents couldn’t force them out of the vehicle and that community members had arrived to support them, they felt a sense of relief and peace.
After the incident, Rodela said the farm workers still went to work that morning.
“They left for work. That, to me, was awesome—like, inspirational. No matter how scared they were, they still had the courage to leave. That told me they felt supported, like they could bounce back from the experience. It showed that even in the face of fear, they refused to let it control their lives. They knew their rights, they had their community behind them, and that gave them the strength to move forward,” Rodela said.
Rodela suggested that racial profiling was the primary reason for the stop. He stated because of this raid, has instilled “fear and terror” in the community.
Rodela said over 30% of students in the Taft City and Union High School Districts missed class out of fear due to this raid that happened last Sunday.
An 8th-grade student from Lincoln Junior High School who asked his name to be anonymous revealed to Kern Sol News that some students, including himself, have not attended school due to the fear caused by immigration law enforcement. The student even mentions that his friend hasn’t gone to school since last week because of fear.
“Us students here in Taft are afraid of going back,” the student said.
He said he and other students share the same feeling about the fear for their immigrant families, especially parents. He mentioned how students feel scared that their parents could be arrested or detained while taking them to school.
The student also shared that although he has mixed feelings about returning to school, still feeling scared but recognizing that he has to go back.
“I don’t know if I want to go back yet. But I know I have to,” the student said. “There’s some of us that are immigrants, and that could be detained for that.”
Chris Martínez, a 17-year-old high school senior and student leader, is among those who are in fear for his community.
“Most of my friends were discussing how inhumane this all is and how scared so many people are—immigrants, workers, even students. Because it’s not just people working in the fields, it’s kids in our classrooms. It’s our friends, our neighbors. And there’s this constant fear that at any moment, at any time of the day, they could be taken from their families. Imagine living with that every single day. It’s terrifying, and the fact that so many people don’t even acknowledge it makes it worse,” Martínez said.
Martínez told Kern Sol News that he skipped school this week for the “Day without Immigrants” protest and helped spread the word to get others involved. Over 352 students participated, and Martínez said some students were mocked for missing school due to fear.
The “Day Without Immigrants” is a protest movement where immigrants and their allies boycott work, school, and consumer spending for a day to highlight the vital contributions of immigrants to the economy and society. Which happened to fall a day after the DEA agents pulled over farm workers in Taft.
Martínez urged students, especially those not directly affected, to use their voices to advocate for change.
“At the end of the day, we are the future. Our voices matter. Our lives matter. And I appreciate you for taking the time to listen, for making sure our voices are heard. That’s what we need—people to pay attention, to care, to take action. Because if we don’t fight for our rights, who will?,” Martínez said.
Dwayne Klotz, historian and retired educator from Taft, said he knew the farm workers who got pulled over on Sunday morning and described the agent’s actions towards them as “aggressive and unjust.”
Klotz said if ICE had a warrant for a criminal, he would understand their actions. But he opposes random stops and detainments, especially people who are on their way to work.
“It’s not a criminal to be heading to work on Sunday morning in the fields,” he said.
To call for any threatening actions, raids, or check-ins by ICE toward immigrants or underrepresented community members, individuals can call the Valley Watch Network hotline: (559) 206-0151.
