The Abridged version:
- Weeks after increased immigration enforcement in Woodland began, residents say the city is quieter than it had been.
- Business owners on Main Street said that some residents are worried about leaving their homes, fearing the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
- Days after an ICE vehicle struck a Woodland resident, more attention is being paid to the presence of federal immigration officers.
Casa Del Pan Panadería on Woodland’s Main Street was unusually quiet on the day an ICE officer struck a local man with a car.
“It was dead here,” said María Olmedo, who owns and operates the bakery.
Over the past couple of weeks, increased enforcement by federal immigration officers in Woodland has chipped away at people’s willingness to leave the house. Residents say large SUVs with tinted windows have been spotted lurking in places that intersected with daily lives — in a Walmart parking lot, outside of a local shelter, on quiet, leafy residential streets.
Their presence signaled to many that larger political forces had descended on the tight-knit farming community, posing a threat to the town’s large and well-established Latino community. On Main Street, where murals depict women in folklórico dresses and restaurants serve Mexican food renowned in the region, business owners noticed fewer people out and about.
“People are a little quieter,” said Marcie Arriaga at The Wild Grove Collective. “It’s sad.”
But that doesn’t mean things have gone silent.
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Olmedo has turned her bakery into a resource hub for those who don’t feel comfortable leaving their homes. She hands out cards that list advice and rights during an ICE interaction. On some days, she picks up kids from school for moms who can’t.
For Olmedo, it’s all part of “speaking out and standing up.”
“I can be the voice for other moms,” she said.
ICE activity
The presence of ICE in Woodland predates the recent activity, but more sightings of federal vehicles have put residents on edge over the last few weeks. The increase is part of a statewide surge, with detainments and arrests observed in cities and towns throughout California.
“For operational security and the safety of our officers, ICE will not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.
The activity came to a head Tuesday morning, when a tinted Chevy Tahoe struck Woodland resident Antonio Moreida on a residential street just a few blocks from the center of town. Moreida had been recording a video of the vehicle as it rolled down the street.
“In a way I was glad that it was me and not another member of the community,” Moreida said at a news conference Wednesday. “My love for my community and my need to support them in whatever way possible has never gone away.”
Local officials confirmed that an ICE agent was driving the vehicle. The Woodland Police Department has opened an investigation.
“I’ve seen many videos at this point and I find what they show very troubling and concerning,” Woodland police chief Ryan Kinnan said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The department will collect video footage from multiple angles and statements from witnesses before deciding to bring the case to the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office.
Olmedo and Arriaga were not optimistic that local authorities would be able to hold federal officers accountable.
“Everyone is kind of helpless,” Arriaga said.
Elections and kids
The surge of ICE activity in Woodland comes weeks before Election Day.
“It’s because of the elections,” Olmedo said. “The Latinos, we have one of the greatest percentages of voting.”
But Olmedo also doesn’t think that the push, which she attributes to the Trump administration, will deter many from the polls.
“I’m gonna vote blue because he pissed me off,” she said, speaking of the president. “If you could vote, go out and do it.”
What’s more pressing in the immediate term is how disruptions to daily lives may impact local students.
“People are afraid to take kids to school,” Nick Arriaga, Marcie’s husband, said.
“What’s the certainty that our kids are going to be safe?” Olmedo said.
In response to these concerns, the Woodland Joint Unified School District sent a message from superintendent Elodia Ortega-Lampkin to parents Wednesday.
“I would like to reassure you of our District’s unwavering commitment to providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment for each and every student, regardless of immigration status,” she said in an email.
In the meantime, Olmedo and other local moms will continue to help as they can, including by giving kids rides to their houses on Woodland’s quiet streets.
Savannah Kuchar contributed to this story.
