We stand in unwavering solidarity with Sacramento’s immigrant communities. Together, we condemn the recent ICE raids and the systemic violations of civil and constitutional rights targeting immigrant families.
As institutions committed to equity, dignity, and community power, we are working collectively to support grassroots response efforts, amplify calls for due process, and ensure that Sacramento remains a place where immigrants are safe, valued, and protected. Now is the time for courageous leadership; our communities deserve nothing less. We call on civic leaders, institutions, and allies across California to stand with us. Reject complicity. Take proactive and courageous action.
On Thursday, July 17, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents continued to pose a threat to the safety of our communities and our national identity and values. Northern California’s rapid response network, NorCal Resist, responded to reports of ICE carrying out a raid at 7 AM in South Sacramento. At least 9 people were detained – among them day laborers and a legal observer responding to the scene – and sent to a detention center in Stockton.
Under the Trump Administration, ICE agents have escalated systemic human rights violations targeting Latino, Black, Asian, and other communities. Mass raids in Los Angeles, Oxnard, Camarillo, and across the Central Valley raise serious legal, ethical, and humanitarian concerns. These raids are spreading across the state and fracturing communities: we must stand up together, wherever these injustices occur.
Immigration operations have often been carried out without judicial warrants or proper identification by agents, destabilizing local communities with violations of due process and constitutional rights of those detained. The devastating impact on the emotional, physical, and economic health of these communities cannot be understated. These ICE raids – fueled by racial profiling and decades of failed, dehumanizing immigration policy – must stop.
Mass enforcement raids coincide with the passage of H.R. 1 – a federal bill that allocates $170 billion over the next four years toward immigration enforcement and detention, while prompting massive cuts to public programs like Medicaid for 11 million people and displacing K-12 student programs. The reduction of federal resources from public service to instead fund unchecked incarceration will change the vitality and heart of many communities from places of safety to anxiety and harm.
In response to these abuses of power, local communities have united through grassroots Rapid Response Networks that activate volunteers in response to ICE sightings, offering immediate support and resources to immigrants. Organizations like Opening Doors launched Sacramento Rise, a regional hub dedicated to providing support, legal assistance, and resources to undocumented individuals.
We stand in solidarity with our immigrant communities. We fight alongside you, unwavering in our commitment to the dignity of every person, every child, and the heart of every community. This is about all of us: the safety and values of the places we call home are at stake. We encourage others to join us in standing with Sacramento’s and California’s immigrant communities.
In solidarity,
James B. McClatchy Foundation, Sierra Health Foundation, Everyday Impact Consulting, California Immigration Project, Creciente Latinx Leadership
Visit the James B. McClatchy Foundation’s website for additional resources.