On April 23, Building Healthy Communities Kern (BHC) and the United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW) hosted the second Unidos Valle Central meeting, an informational initiative designed to deliver critical resources to underserved communities.
The first Unidos Valle Central summit, held in February, was created to strengthen community connections while addressing an urgent need for accessible and reliable information on immigration.
“This was born out of conversations with people in schools, including staff at Bakersfield College and other educators, who kept asking us, ‘Where can we go for updates on immigration? How do we access that information?’” said Reyna Olaguez, chief executive officer of BHC. “Those questions led Ambar, Juana, and others to come together and say, ‘Why don’t we bring this information directly to the community?’”
Ambar Tovar, a legal attorney with the UFW Foundation, shared critical information involving enforcement trends. A recent report published data involving immigration enforcement in 2025. The data indicated that there were more than 600,000 individuals apprehended in 2025.
“In Kern County, we have three detention centers. All of them are at or near capacity. The largest one being in California City. That one has a capacity of over 2,500 spaces, and that facility is at or near capacity,” said Tovar. “So, just something to note there, and just generally, in terms of enforcement, if you do have family members who are impacted by immigration enforcement, meaning that their family member is detained. I would say the majority of the times, nine times out of ten, they are being sent to California City for detention.”
Recently, habeas corpus trends have continued to advance, allowing detainees to contest their detainment. Habeas corpus is a writ that allows detained individuals to challenge their imprisonment in court and has been a resource in securing freedom for detainees. Although the habeas corpus writ is a useful tool in seeking release, legal resources are often limited, especially in places like the Central Valley.
“So this type of procedure gets filed in Federal District Court, which means that not a lot of immigration attorneys exist, especially here in the Central Valley, and especially here in Kern County, that know how to file these habeuses,” said Tovar.
The UFW Foundation also offers pro bono services to file these petitions due to the lack of attorneys familiar with the legal process, according to Tovar.
Additionally, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency responsible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), has been facing delays in the approval process for recipients. Tovar recommends that applicants file six to eight months early to avoid issues that may impact their status.
“There are some applications that maybe got submitted in November that are still pending adjudication, and that person has not been able to get an updated work permit. So, this is true. If you are hearing rumors or if you’re hearing students who might be concerned, ‘Hey, I submitted a DACA application, and it’s been now five, six months, and I haven’t heard back.’ Sadly, it is normal; everybody is in the same situation,” said Tovar.
The UFW Foundation also introduced the Family Preparedness Plan to encourage families to compile necessary information in the event they are separated from their children. The plan includes a comprehensive overview of medical records, emergency contacts, allergies, and other critical details. The initiative began during the Trump administration when children were being left behind at schools.
To further support local families, “The Hub,” located at the UFW Foundation’s office, is a community resource available to families who need support not only with paperwork but also with any other questions they may have. “The Hub” is open to the public on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and does not require an appointment.
Organizers also noted that victims of immigration enforcement should contact the Rapid Response Network (RRN), as it helps track current trends.
“Reporting to the hotline allows us to monitor the trends, and that is how the ACLU was able to fild the injunction lawsuit that led to an injunction that basically prevented border patrol from doing immigration enforcement in the Central Valley,” said Tovar.
For more information on services provided by the UFW Foundation, please contact their office at 661-324-2500.
