A lot has changed about immigration raids. But not their emotional toll

In the Central Coast, where my father farmed strawberries, the land is mostly flat for miles in every direction so it was easy to spot the green vans and trucks of the Immigration and Naturalization Service heading our way in the distance, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake. It was the late ‘70s and raids were an occasional part of working in the ag industry.

When the trucks were spotted — most often by a worker — a loud call would go out: “La Migra, la migra.” That’s when immigrant workers without legal status would drop what they were doing and sprint away, either for a nearby riverbed or over a set of raised railroad tracks adjacent to the fields. The immigration raids on my father’s strawberry fields fascinated me when I was a boy. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood the impact on the workers who were rounded up and deported, as well as the effects on the families left behind. I now recall them in a more somber light.

My father worked as a sharecropper in the Central Coast. He oversaw several acres of strawberries and managed up to a dozen workers for Driscoll Inc., the berry company headquartered in my hometown of Watsonville.

The authors father stands in his strawberry fields in the 1970s.

(Hugo Martin)

From the time I was about 6 or 7 years old until I was 16, I spent my summers and most weekends in the fall in my dad’s strawberry fields. It was backbreaking work. I have the chiropractor invoices to prove it.

The ICE raids of the past few months across Southern California reignited my boyhood memories of the strawberry field raids.

Immigration raid methods have changed. The toll they take has not

Federal agents are now grabbing people from bus stops, private homes and courthouses — not just from workplaces. And with everyone packing a smartphone, most raids are now documented and broadcast instantly for all to witness.

What has not changed is the impact on the immigrant families, especially the children. Children of immigrants sustain deep emotional scars from immigration raids.

A study published last month on Psychiatry News said immigrant children or children of mixed-status parents endure serious trauma when their parents are deported.

“Forced family separations, particularly those resulting from immigration enforcement (e.g., detention, deportation), introduce acute psychological risks,” according to the study, which list the results as an “elevated risk of suicidal ideation, externalizing behavior and alcohol use.”

Even living under the threat of having a parent deported is traumatizing to children.

“These fears have been shown to lead to school absenteeism, academic disengagement, and heightened emotional distress,” the study says.

Even as a boy, the fear and desperation were palpable

When I worked in the fields, the raids came about once or twice a summer. I didn’t witness this myself, but the family lore includes the story of a worker who was so desperate to escape the INS that he jumped into a nearby port-a-potty — hiding among the feces and urine in the holding tanks — until the INS agents departed.

Each summer, two or three of my father’s workers would be deported, only to return the following season. That was more common back in the ‘70s than it is today. My dad tried to help his workers without green cards by connecting them with legal aid groups or lawyers so they could straighten out their legal status. Not all of them did and some who had green cards ran at the sight of INS trucks anyway.

In a recent conversation with my younger brother, Peter, he recalled panicking during the first raids he witnessed. He said he asked my older siblings if he should run from the agents, too.

“No, you’re an American. Just shut up,” they told him.

“How do they know that?” my brother asked.

Today’s top stories

Accompanied by California and Texas lawmakers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, discusses the push to schedule a special election to redraw California’s Congressional voting districts, during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Friday Aug. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

New polls show voters support Newsom’s redistricting plan

• Governor Newsom signed his plan yesterday to send new congressional district maps to voters for approval.
• Among voters who regularly cast ballots in statewide elections, overall support for redistricting was at 55%, compared with 34% opposed.
• Behind the scenes, consultants, lawmakers and would-be candidates already are jockeying for position in the newly competitive or vastly redrawn districts that may soon exist across the state.
• Supervisor Hilda Solis hasn’t publicly announced her candidacy, but she’s already lining up support for a potential new southeast L.A. County congressional seat.

Federal funding for sex education in California is cut over ‘radical gender ideology’

• The Trump administration has canceled a sexual education grant to California worth about $12.3 million on the grounds that it included “radical gender ideology” after state officials refused to revise the materials.
• The funding helps pay for sex ed in juvenile justice facilities, homeless shelters, foster care group homes and some schools, reaching an estimated 13,000 youths per year.
• State officials have described their materials as medically accurate, beneficial and in compliance with terms of the grant.

L.A. touts results of using unarmed civilians instead of cops for some emergencies

• For the past year, Los Angeles has been testing a program that dispatches specially trained civilians who don’t carry guns in response to certain calls for help.
• A report released earlier this month by the city said the early results are encouraging.
• The use of “unarmed crisis responders,” the report found, not only offers specialized care to people who need help — it also allows “LAPD more time to focus on traditional law enforcement efforts.”

What else is going on

• Here’s how SoCal’s intensifying heat wave could set temperature records, even overnight.
• Baby Emmanuel Haro has been missing for a week, and there is growing desperation to unravel the mystery about what happened to him. Here is what we know so far.
• Fox and Skip Bayless’ sexual abuse lawsuit settlement seems imminent as the hairstylist who alleged that Bayless made unwanted sexual advances toward her seeks dismissal.
• Bed Bath & Beyond chairman says he won’t reopen stores in “overregulated, expensive and risky” California.
• KROQ’s Nicole Alvarez has signed off after 22 years, and urged the station to “take risks again” in a farewell letter.

Commentary and opinions

• The 10 fall festival movies our Oscars expert Glenn Whipp will be watching most closely.
• Newsom’s knives-out memes show plausible strategy against Trump, argues guest contributor Matt K. Lewis.

This morning’s must reads

Food

This Valley market is a ticket home to Iran. ‘I want to go feel it. I want to smell it.’

Q Market, which opened in Lake Balboa in 1993, has been a grocery store, community center and one of the Valley’s only links back home for many Iranian immigrants.

Aug. 21, 2025

Other must reads

• Private land used for logging is more prone to severe fire than public lands. A new study shows why.
• Lucha VaVoom de La Liz will bid farewell to its beloved DTLA venue the Mayan on Friday.

For your downtime

The Eames House has reopened after the Palisades fire and is unveiling its creative studio to the public for the first time.

(Chris Mottalini / Eames Office LLC)

Going out

• Museums: After the Palisades fire, the Eames House has reopened with a surprise: new access to a private space.
• Nature walks: Walking in nature for as little as 15 to 20 minutes can improve your attention span — even if you don’t always enjoy it.
• Movie theaters: Margaret Qualley’s sleazy crime caper “Honey Don’t!” — in theaters today — is a hot mess, just as intended.
• Hiking: This less-crowded hike in Yosemite features meadows, wildflowers and epic views.

Staying in

• Books: Mars mania gripped the world a century ago, and this witty new book explains why.
• Live reading: “Superbad” fans can experience a rare live reading of “Superbad” on Sunday to raise funds for immigrant defense.
• Streaming: Apple TV+ is raising its subscription price by $3 to $12.99 a month.
• Recipes: Here’s a recipe for stir-fried zucchini noodles with greens, cabbage and shrimp.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

A question for you: What are your favorite places to eat and drink in the San Fernando Valley?

William Barnes writes, “I have to say I really like Micelli’s Italian Restaurant across the 101 from Universal Studios. The food is great, but it’s the waitstaff who make it so memorable. In addition to excellent service, many of them take time out to sing and perform musical numbers from all the memorable musicals. One time, they even had the patrons participate in a round robin version of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ during the holidays. Happy memories were made here over the years.”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

Artist Harold Greene in his San Pedro studio where he makes wooden furniture.

(G L Askew II / For The Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times contributor G L Askew II at the San Pedro studio of Harold Greene, a woodworker who gives life to maple and ash in his stunning handcrafted furnishings.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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