Politics
Community groups set up strike teams to respond to Trump's mass deportation plans
In the early days of President Trump’s first administration, several Kern County organizations launched a tip line people could contact if they spotted immigration enforcement activities underway.
Nearly three weeks ago, the hotline started ringing again. In panicked voices, callers reported witnessing U.S. Border Patrol agents questioning Latinos in parking lots and gas stations — and detaining people in large numbers. In some cases, they said, a loved one had been detained.
The Rapid Response Network of Kern sprung into action. Organization staff and volunteers fanned out across the Bakersfield area — 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.
Border Patrol Chief Agent Gregory K. Bovino, who leads the El Centro Sector in the Imperial Valley along the Mexico border, said in statements on social media that agents had detained two child rapists and “other criminals.” He said that agents also arrested people for being in the U.S. unlawfully.
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 — 300 miles south — were conducting operations so far away from the border.
Representatives for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not respond to requests for comment.
While the rapid-response network is not designed to intervene in raids, its members played a vital support role by chronicling the operation and offering counsel for those who were detained, said Rosa Lopez, a senior policy advocate for the ACLU of Southern California, which is a partner in Kern County’s network.
Rapid-response networks emerged across the state during the first Trump administration. The community-led groups became a first line of defense for immigrants overwhelmed by threats of raids and mass deportation.
The premise was straightforward: People who see immigration or border agents in their community call or text a hotline. A dispatcher notifies volunteers, who respond to the reported address to confirm if there is, in fact, an active operation. If verified, the dispatcher can send out a legal observer to monitor the situation, as well as an attorney to provide legal assistance.
During the height of the pandemic, and with immigrants facing fewer deportation threats under the Biden administration, many networks pivoted to providing people with information about vaccines and food assistance.
But after Trump was elected in November amid promises to carry out the largest deportation operation in American history, local organizations are dusting off the rapid-response networks they built eight years ago.
In the first days of his new term, Trump issued a slew of executive orders closing down legal avenues to asylum and declaring illegal immigration a national emergency at the southern border. Public sentiment could be on his side. A recent poll from the New York Times and Ipsos found that 55% of Americans strongly or somewhat support deporting all immigrants in the country illegally.
Along with providing legal defense to immigrants detained by authorities, much of what the networks do is preventative. They inform community members about their rights to ask for a warrant if ICE shows up at their door and not to answer questions. They urge people to document the encounter and report the incident. They also ensure families have an emergency plan.
They use text messaging and social media to warn people of confirmed operations, and more often, to tamp down the rumors that can spur people to stay home from work and keep their kids home from school.
“Our primary goal is to build power, not panic,” said Lisa Knox, co-executive director and legal director for the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, which supports rapid-response networks across the state. “One of the biggest roles that these community networks can play is in spreading accurate information and dispelling misinformation.”
Even before Trump was inaugurated this week, rapid-response networks kicked into high gear as the Bakersfield-area raids unleashed a wave of fear across the Central Valley, where a largely immigrant workforce helps harvest a quarter of the food grown in the U.S.
At least half of the state’s 162,000 farmworkers are undocumented, according to estimates from the federal Department of Labor and research conducted by UC Merced. Many of those workers have children or spouses who were born here.
In the weeks following the Bakersfield raid, the Rapid Response Network of Kern has helped distribute groceries to more than 200 families who have been afraid to leave their homes, and coordinated rides for people fearful of driving themselves to work. Network partners are exploring emergency rental assistance for families who lost income after the raids.
“There’s high panic,” said Blanca Ojeda, an organizer for Faith in the Valley, which helms the Valley Watch Network, a rapid-response network serving communities from Kern to San Joaquin counties. “The activity in Kern … just heightened everyone’s senses and just made us a little more suspicious of everyone.”
The Inland Empire Rapid Response Network — which hadn’t received a call in eight months — has gotten nearly 140 calls and text messages alerting it to possible immigration enforcement operations in the weeks since the Bakersfield operation, according to the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice.
Volunteers with the network have responded to more than 70 reports in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The group posts updates on Instagram, which so far have mostly served to dispel rumors of immigration agent sightings. It had confirmed at least two on social media as of Friday afternoon.
Trying to respond to reports of raids in a region spanning more than 27,000 square miles is no easy task, said Javier Hernandez, the coalition’s executive director. To meet that demand, the Inland Empire network is aiming to have dispatchers who speak English and Spanish available from 4 a.m. to midnight daily, and is in the process of training 300 responders.
The Valley Watch Network faces a similar challenge. It has trained more than 90 people since late last year and is trying to recruit more legal observers to respond to possible enforcement activities in the San Joaquin Valley’s far-flung farming communities.
“We just want to be able to mobilize as quickly as possible,” Ojeda said, “because it gives ICE the opportunity to leave that spot, and then we don’t have any evidence of what occurred.”
This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California’s economic divide.
SAN FRANCISCO — With the California governor’s race quickly approaching, six candidates will face off Wednesday evening in the first debate since former Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race in the aftermath of sexual assault and misconduct allegations.
The debate takes place at a critical moment in the turbulent contest to replace termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ballots will start landing in Californians’ mailboxes in less than two weeks, and voters are split by a crowded field of eight prominent candidates. The debate also takes place after former state Controller Betty Yee ended her campaign because of a lack of resources and support in the polls.
Two Republicans — Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and conservative commentator Steve Hilton — and four Democrats — billionaire Tom Steyer, former Biden administration Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan — will take the stage at Nexstar’s KRON4 studios in San Francisco. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and state Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, both Democrats, were not invited to participate because of their low polling numbers.
As the candidates strive to distinguish themselves in a crowded field, the debate could include fiery exchanges about the role of money in politics and potential heightened attacks on Becerra, who has surged in the polls since Swalwell dropped out. With the debate taking place on Earth Day, environmental issues are also likely to be raised.
The Wednesday night gathering is the first televised debate in the gubernatorial contest since early February. Last month, USC canceled a debate hours before it was set to begin over mounting criticism that its criteria excluded all major candidates of color.
The 7 p.m. debate is hosted by Nexstar and will be moderated by KTXL FOX40 anchor Nikki Laurenzo and KTLA anchor Frank Buckley. It can be viewed on KRON4 (San Francisco), KTLA5 (Los Angeles), KSWB/KUSI (San Diego), KTXL (Sacramento), KGET (Bakersfield) and KSEE (Fresno). NewsNation will also air the debate.
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April 22, 2026
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Sparks flew on Capitol Hill as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., accused Federal Reserve nominee Kevin Warsh of being a potential “sock puppet” for President Donald Trump.
Warsh, tapped by Trump in January to lead the Federal Reserve, faced a two-and-a-half-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.
If confirmed, he would take the helm of the world’s most powerful central bank, shaping interest rates, borrowing costs and the financial outlook for millions of American households for the next four years.
WHO IS KEVIN WARSH, TRUMP’S PICK TO SUCCEED JEROME POWELL AS FED CHAIR?
Kevin Warsh, nominee for chairman of the Federal Reserve, listens to ranking member Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., make an opening statement during his Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In her opening remarks, Warren sharply criticized Warsh’s record and questioned his independence, arguing he is “uniquely ill-suited for the job as Fed chair” and warning he could give Trump influence over the central bank.
She accused Warsh of enabling Wall Street during the 2008 financial crisis, which fell during his tenure as a Federal Reserve governor when he served from 2006 to 2011.
“In our meeting last week, we discussed the 2008 financial crash, where 8 million people lost their jobs, 10 million people lost their homes and millions more lost their life savings,” Warren said. “Giant banks, however, got hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts… and he said to me that he has no regrets about anything he did.”
She added that Warsh “worked tirelessly to arrange multibillion-dollar bailouts” for Wall Street CEOs, with nothing for American families.
The hearing grew more tense as Warren pivoted to ethics concerns, pressing Warsh over his undisclosed financial holdings and questioning him over links to business dealings connected to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The two spoke over each other and raised their voices in a heated exchange on Capitol Hill.
WARSH’S $226 MILLION FORTUNE UNDER SCRUTINY AS FED NOMINEE FACES SENATE CONFIRMATION
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: The Fed has been plagued by deeply disturbing ethics scandals in recent years. It’s critical that the next chair have no financial conflicts — none. You have more than $100 million in investments that you have refused to disclose. So let me ask: do the Juggernaut Fund or THSDFS LLC invest in companies affiliated with President Trump or his family, companies tied to money laundering, Chinese-controlled firms, or financing vehicles linked to Jeffrey Epstein?
Kevin Warsh: Senator, I’ve worked closely with the Office of Government Ethics and agreed to divest all of my financial assets.
Warren: Could you answer my question, please? You have more than $100 million in undisclosed assets. Are any of those investments tied to the entities I just mentioned? It’s a yes-or-no question.
Warsh: I have worked tirelessly with ethics officials and agreed to sell all of my assets before taking the oath of office.
Warren: Are you refusing to tell us if you have investments in vehicles linked to Jeffrey Epstein? You just won’t say?
Warsh: What I’m telling you is those assets will be sold if I’m confirmed.
Warren: Will you disclose how you plan to divest these assets? The public might question your motives if, for example, someone who profits from predicting Fed policy cuts you a $100 million check as you take office.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren questions Kevin Warsh during his Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Warsh: I’ve reached a full agreement with the Office of Government Ethics and will divest those assets before taking the oath.
Warren: I’m asking a very straightforward question. Will you disclose how you divest those assets?
Warsh: As I’ve said, I’ve worked with ethics officials.
Warren: I’ll take that as a no.
In a separate exchange, Warren invoked Trump’s past statements about the Fed and challenged Warsh to prove his independence in real time.
She insisted that Warsh answer whether he believes Trump won the 2020 presidential election and if he would name policies of the president with which he disagrees. The hopeful future Fed chair dodged the question and said he would remain apolitical, if confirmed.
THE ONE LINE IN WARSH’S TESTIMONY SIGNALING A BREAK FROM THE FED’S STATUS QUO
Warren: Donald Trump has made clear he does not want an independent Fed. He has said, “Anybody that disagrees with me will never be Fed chairman.” He’s also said interest rates will drop “when Kevin gets in.” Let’s check out your independence and your courage. We’ll start easy. Mr. Warsh, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?
Warsh: Senator, we should keep politics out of the Federal Reserve.
Warren: I’m asking a factual question.
Warsh: This body certified the election.
Warren: That’s not what I asked. Did Donald Trump lose in 2020?
Warsh: The Fed should stay out of politics.
Warren: In our meeting, you said you’re a “tough guy” who can stand up to President Trump. So name one aspect of his economic agenda you disagree with.
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Kevin Warsh listens to a question during a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Warsh: That’s not something I’m prepared to do. The Fed should stay in its lane.
Warren: Just one place where you disagree.
Warsh: I do have one disagreement — he said I looked like I was out of central casting. I think I’d look older and grayer.
Warren: That’s adorable. But we need a Fed chair who is independent. If you can’t answer these questions, you don’t have the courage or the independence.
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