When immigration officers helicoptered into Chico in August, a network of volunteers was prepared. When the officers slipped out before dawn the next morning, they left people with both relief and lingering questions, according to NorCal Resist Chico.
NorCal Resist volunteers say they don’t know whether the officers were merely stopping in Chico on their way somewhere, or whether attention from protesters dissuaded them from taking enforcement actions that they might have preferred to be surprise.
Regardless, the visit showed the role that community preparation can play in view of immigration raids that have produced both violent as well as quiet disruptions to communities across the country. NorCal Resist says that community response is critical as Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) ramps up with a larger budget.