Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo recalls his childhood as the son of undocumented immigrants, emphasizing the ongoing fear in immigrant communities due to federal raids. His family's experience, symbolized by a coffee can used for safety, mirrors the anxiety faced by many today. The recent raids in Southern California, often conducted by unmarked agents, have instilled fear in families who now hesitate to leave their homes. Gordo expresses empathy for those affected, highlighting the need for clarity and compassion in how these operations are conducted.
Under my parents' bed was a Folgers coffee can, and in that can was cash, a list of names and phone numbers, copies of birth certificates and identification cards. If my parents didn't come home, I was to take that can and go knock on the neighbor's house and get help, Gordo said.
We lived in fear, and that's what's so offensive about this, and painful, frankly.
In Pasadena, it hasn't been clear whether the sweeps are being conducted by legit federal agents or vigilantes. Their cars are unmarked. Their faces are shielded.
Families and neighborhoods have been reeling, afraid to leave the house following arrests at car washes, building supply centers, restaurants, the Garment District.
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