When immigration agents picked up a 15-year-old white teen
Your morning catch-up: Echoes of Eisenhower’s immigration dragnet, SoCal’s atmospheric river storm and more big stories.
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Jimmy Rhoades was spraying pesticide on orange trees in San Juan Capistrano on Aug. 28 when a yell went up in the air:
Immigration agents were staging a raid.
Mexican nationals working alongside Rhoades ran into the groves and hid for hours. But la migra stuck around until the naranjeros reemerged and detained them. Agents then spotted the blond-haired, blue-eyed, 15-year-old Rhoades hiding inside a spraying rig.
They “threw me into their truck without asking any questions,” he told the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
That’s when the teen’s 11-hour hell began.
This episode took place nearly 75 years ago, but for Latinos in Southern California and beyond,
the same kind of drama is sadly becoming just another day of life in President Trump’s America.
La migra’s long history of cruel and sloppy enforcement
Rhoades and his co-workers — including a Mexican American — were driven down to Oceanside and stuffed into a room. When he asked to call his mother in Yorba Linda, an agent shoved him into a chair and shouted, “We’ll ask the questions.”
After hours in custody, Rhoades and the others were moved to an immigration processing center in Chula Vista. It was there when la migra finally asked him for ID and determined what he was insisting all along was true: He was a U.S. citizen.
Rhoades was finally released but offered no ride home, let alone an apology. His boss had to pick him up all the way from north O.C. At least he was let free; three other workers were deported.
Tales of reckless raids are becoming more and more common
As Trump pours nitro on his deportation campaign, a ProPublica investigation found a month ago that la migra has held more than 170 U.S. citizens this year alone. But this is not anything new: They also happened as far back as 1954.
Then and now, a president unleashed a scorched-earth deportation campaign in the name of securing the U.S.-Mexico border, clawing back jobs for American workers and winning back the homeland from an invading force.
This administration has cited Eisenhower’s Operation Wetback as inspiration for what Trump’s migra squad is doing right now. He and his supporters have described the campaign as a swift, orderly necessity that can be easily replicated.
But the Rhoades case showed that anyone can be swallowed up by the government’s deportation machine — and that la migra doesn’t care if innocents suffer along the way.
What’s that old saying? Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
Rhoades’ family didn’t sue — they just hoped it would never happen again
The first newspaper stories about what happened to Rhoades came four days after his ordeal, when his parents let the press know they were seeking legal recourse or at least an apology. The Long Beach Independent wrote that they had “been advised” they could sue la migra for “alleged kidnapping, false imprisonment and placing a minor in custody with adults.”
Rhoades, for his part, told the newspaper that what he experienced was a “daytime nightmare” and that he was “petrified.”
Immigration officials at first wouldn’t confirm or deny Rhoades’ story, telling the Anaheim Bulletin, “You newspaper [men] are trying to stir up something as usual.”
But as the story spread across California, complete with a photo of Rhoades looking like a “Leave it to Beaver” background character — checkered shirt, chubby cheeks, fluffy flattop — immigration officials had to address what happened.
They blamed Rhoades.
Herman R. Landon, the Los Angeles-area director for Immigration and Naturalization Services, told the Associated Press that the teenager told his agents “false information as to where the wetbacks had gone, which resulted in their getting away” and had tried to drive off in a truck with undocumented immigrants.
“If he were a little older,” Landon warned, “he’d still be held and facing possible prosecution” — the type of line that nowadays would seem natural coming out of the mouths of any Homeland Security bigwig.
To use another cliche about history: It doesn’t repeat, but it sure can rhyme.
The Rhoades family ultimately didn’t pursue a lawsuit. “Jimmy wasn’t hurt,” his mother reasoned to the Independent. “I just hope it never happens to any other American boy.”
The more things change … OK, I’ll stop. Too bad la migra most probably won’t.
Today’s top stories
Turmoil at California universities
- The Department of Justice will investigate security at UC Berkeley after protesters clashed outside a Turning Point USA event on the campus, resulting in multiple people being taken into custody.
- USC continues to face dire financial strain, conducting widespread layoffs and budget cuts.
L.A. fire investigations
- At least one official at the Los Angeles Fire Department knew of complaints from firefighters that the Lachman fire was not completely out, but firefighters were still ordered to stop mop-up operations.
- State investigators have cited two senior care facilities for leaving behind residents during the January Eaton fire, including a 100-year-old woman.
Trump administration’s battles
- President Trump wants oil drilling off the coast of California. But no one else does.
- Trump threatened to bring a $1-billion lawsuit against the BBC over the British broadcaster’s editing of his Jan. 6 speech. The U.K. government has come to the BBC’s defense.
- Top diplomats from G-7 countries meet in Canada as trade tensions rise with Trump.
California courts
- A judge has refused to drop the murder charges against a man accused of killing four Pepperdine students on the PCH in 2023.
- A former Baldwin Park police officer has pleaded not guilty to charges that he stole more than $100,000 from the police union where he served as its treasurer.
- The mother of missing girl Melodee Buzzard was charged with false imprisonment after authorities say she held a man captive in her home.
More big stories
- L.A. may cap rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments at 3%. Landlords cry foul.
- An atmospheric river is expected to bring heavy rains to SoCal starting Thursday. How long will it last and what areas will get the most rain?
- Northern lights made a rare Los Angeles appearance Tuesday night amid a major geomagnetic storm.
- Immigrant detainees filed federal complaints claiming a lieutenant at California’s Golden State Annex harassed, threatened and coerced them into sexual acts.
- AEG, the company behind Crypto.com Arena, plans to add a hotel and hundreds of residences to L.A. Live.
- Tense air traffic control audio captured a near-collision between two passenger planes during takeoff at LAX.
Commentary and opinions
- JD Vance is loud, obnoxious and, in a very short time, he’s broken unprecedented ground with his smash-face, turn-it-to-11 approach to the vice presidency, argues columnist Mark Z. Barabak.
- Trump’s demolition of the White House’s East Wing reveals a fracture in more than its architecture, writes guest contributor Rosa Lowinger.
- While Venezuela is under Nicolás Maduro’s rule, guest contributor Daniel R. DePetris argues, a change in regime still can’t promise stability.
This morning’s must reads
A coalition of five California desert tribes will co-manage the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla National Monument.
Other great reads
- Can L.A. get its own Zohran Mamdani? Two Latina mayors are paving the way.
- A look into Sabrina Carpenter’s evolution through the lens of her personal photographer.
For your downtime
Going out
- Wellness retreat: Peek inside Joshua Tree’s exclusive sexual wellness retreat, which aims to help women connect with their erotic selves.
- Architecture tour: A Midcentury masterpiece by Raphael Soriano is reborn. And you can tour it Friday.
Staying in
- Music: Plug in to Destin Conrad’s first jazz project, “Love on Digital.”
- Film: Go beyond jokes in “Being Eddie,” a documentary diving into the life of comedian Eddie Murphy.
- Recipe: Here’s a recipe for Sweet Potato Chili.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
Question of the day: What’s one special dish your family makes for Thanksgiving?
Peg Quinn said, “When I subscribed to the Sunday LA Times in 1981, it included a free California Cookbook. I’ve used the pumpkin pie recipe every Thanksgiving since - it’s the BEST- and it always gets rave reviews!”
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And finally ... the photo of the day
Today’s great photo, from Times photographer Eric Thayer, is of Janelle Monae on the red carpet at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Peacock Theater.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martin, assistant editor
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Andrew Campa, weekend reporter
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
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