Here’s What Immigrant Advocates Said About ICE Arrests in Merced County

By Monica Velez—Feb. 28, 2018

Local advocates are calling on elected officials, law enforcement and allies in Merced County to unite against the recent deportation efforts happening in Atwater and surrounding areas.

Five men in Atwater were picked up by the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, on Sunday morning and advocates rallied together quickly in response to the “unjust” way the five men were taken, they say.

Two men were detained at an Atwater home by ICE agents who identified themselves to the family as “police” and not immigration enforcement, advocates said. Later that day, ICE agents waited outside Circle K on Shaffer Road in Atwater for three men who stopped for some coffee on their way to work, according to a witness.

Both instances were seen as unfair and a betrayal of trust to the advocates who spoke out at the gathering. About 30 people attended.

“We are not going to tolerate this in our community,” said Lupe Delgado, community organizer for Faith in the Valley. “We will not tolerate racial profiling. We are not going to keep living in the shade. This is an immediate call for action.”

Read more at the Modesto Bee.