On June 18, local media outlets received a press release from the Desert Recreation District. It had nothing to do with parks, or recreation facilities, or fun family events.
“At approximately 9 a.m. this morning, Desert Recreation District staff were made aware of federal law enforcement agencies staging in our Oasis del Desierto Park parking lot,” the press release said. “The district was not provided advance notice, nor did it coordinate with any law enforcement agency for their use of this location. All federal personnel departed the property from 10:45 a.m.”
Oasis del Desierto Park was just one of numerous places in the Coachella Valley where heavily militarized Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up on that day—and on many other June days. Thankfully, some local elected officials are speaking out.
“ICE raids that occurred on June 18 are causing fear and widespread disruption in communities in the Coachella Valley,” said Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez in a statement. “Reports recount aggressive migrant operations, including a raid at a Food 4 Less in Indio, targeting the most vulnerable communities like farm workers. These actions, carried out by masked agents with paramilitary tactics, are completely unnecessary in communities filled with working people. These raids are inhumane and destabilizing.
“There is no plan, no organization, no respect for due process guarantees,” Perez continued. “We urgently call on our federal leaders to stand up for our community in the face of the Trump administration, for transparency and accountability, and to put an immediate end to these traumatic operations that separate families and sow discord.”
This month’s print-edition cover story—by local journalist, musician and activist Esther Sanchez—looks at how the immigrant-rights community reacted on June 6, when ICE started significantly ramping up local raids. In the piece, Esther makes an interesting point: While some people have been surprised by these ICE actions, others saw them coming.
“A common narrative was shared by multiple representatives at the (June 6) press conference was: They had been expecting this for some time,” Esther writes. “‘President Trump said he was going to do it, and we took him at his word,’ one speaker stated. ‘That’s why we’ve been preparing for this.’”
Perez is absolutely right when he calls these raids inhumane, destabilizing and traumatic. How is America being made “great again” by raiding grocery stores, restaurants, U-Haul locations and even people’s yards (to “catch” gardeners)?
These actions don’t make America greater. They make it a punitive state inching disturbingly close to authoritarianism.
To those of you support these raids in the name of legality, or dismiss them as not affecting you, here’s a warning: In a nation without due process, where people can be snatched up by masked, unidentified paramilitary agents without charges or warrants, nobody is safe.
What happened to America being the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Note: This is a slightly edited version of the editor’s note that appeared in the July 2025 print edition. Much of this was originally published online in the June 19 Indy Digest.