Nearly three weeks ago, the hotline started ringing again. In panicked voices, callers reported witnessing U. Border Patrol agents questioning Latinos in parking lots and gas stations β and detaining people in large numbers.
In some cases, they said, a loved one had been detained. The U. Border Patrol ran rampant through Bakersfield in what immigration advocates say was nothing but racial profiling aimed at intimidation. More such raids are coming. The Rapid Response Network of Kern sprang into action. Organization staff and volunteers fanned out across the Bakersfield area β to a Home Depot, a swap meet and other locations where the Border Patrol had been spotted. As they confirmed the raids, they attempted to document the scenes, including any violations of rights or use of force, as well as recording the names of people being detained and interviewing witnesses.
By the time the multi-day Border Patrol operation ended, 78 undocumented immigrants had been arrested, according to the El Centro sector of the Border Patrol.
Advocates on the scene, meanwhile, said that the operation indiscriminately targeted Latino farmworkers and day laborers, and that far more people were detained.
They questioned why agents from El Centro β miles south β were conducting operations so far away from the border. Representatives for U. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment.
