La Opinión reported that “undocumented farmers living in the United States consider that they are treated as if they were not human beings, and almost all of the 2,250 surveyed by the United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW Foundation) fear probable detention and deportation.”
The report, “In the Sun and Out of the Shadows: Fears, Hopes, and Aspirations of Undocumented Farmworkers Affected by Trump-era Enforcement Measures,” found that 88% of the 2,250 farmworkers surveyed “expressed concern about falling prey to continued immigration raids and mass deportations.”
And 90% indicated that their main concern is family separation.
Farmworkers from California, Washington, Michigan, Georgia and 12 other states were interviewed for the survey.
The investigation continues into the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo at the hands of ICE
The case of the death of Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas, at the hands of an agent of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) recorded several developments this week, and among those, it was confirmed that a substance found in his vehicle and which according to authorities could be "methamphetamines" tested negative for illicit drugs. Likewise, a judge ordered the release from an ICE detention center of one of the three workers who were passengers of Salgado and who are eyewitnesses to the events that led to his death.
The first point is significant because the agents argued that although Salgado was not the objective of the operation, the presence of the “substance” justified, according to them, the intervention. They also allege that Salgado used his vehicle as a “weapon” and that is why he was shot dead. The workers who accompanied him deny the official version.
Harris County Attorney Sean Teare's office said it wants the evidence against the ICE agents to be as thorough as possible before presenting it to a grand jury because the Trump administration likely wants to move the case from state to federal court. Teare told the Houston Chronicle that “his office could prevent such a transfer by showing that the federal agent acted outside the scope of his duties during the shooting.”
One of the main complaints of immigrants and those who support them is precisely the lack of accountability of immigration agents who operate with absolute impunity.
ICE agent who killed a young Colombian has a serious history of violence
On the other hand, The Associated Press reported that the ICE agent who killed Colombian immigrant Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero has a history of violent behavior, including against his two ex-wives. One of them provided the news agency with audio of a message the agent left indicating that someone should cut his throat.
Border czar Tom Homan indicated on CNN that if the allegations are true, the agent should not have passed the background check.
La Opinion reported that ICE will review hiring protocols after the deaths of the two immigrants.
“The review announced by Homan seeks to determine whether the current hiring and training filters are sufficient to prevent people with backgrounds incompatible with federal service from entering one of the agencies most questioned by organizations defending immigrant rights,” the newspaper wrote.
"To expand the task force, the agency offered sign-on bonuses of up to $50,000, accumulating more than 220,000 applications. However, activists and legislators warned that the rapid growth caused criminal records or violent behavior among new recruits to be overlooked," the article added.
Government continues to expand its detention capacity
La Opinión reported that ICE “is preparing to significantly expand its detention infrastructure with the opening of four new centers in Miami, Seattle, Philadelphia and Denver, facilities that together will be able to house approximately 5,500 people.”
"The expansion of detention capacity coincides with a sustained increase in immigration operations. In June, ICE registered nearly 40,000 admissions to its detention centers, while official data indicates that currently more than 65,000 people remain in the agency's custody in 207 facilities distributed in 40 states," the newspaper explained.
ICE detention centers are also under fire for deplorable conditions reported by immigrants themselves and those who support them, including spoiled food and a lack of preventive and emergency medical care.
La Opinión wrote that "each complex will have five rooms for immigration hearings, offices for judges and at least 20 spaces for lawyers from the legal division of ICE. With this, the agency aims to reduce the transfer of detainees to external courts and speed up the development of immigration processes."
Unaccompanied immigrant children could lose legal assistance
La Opinión reported that “thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States could lose their right to legal representation as of July 31, when the federal contract that finances these services expires, specialized organizations warned during a conference organized by Defending Our Neighbors Fund.”
“Legal aid providers warned that, if the government does not renew the agreement, tens of thousands of minors will have to face the processes before the immigration courts alone, while the government will continue to be represented by specialized lawyers,” the article says.
ICE arrests more than 12,000 using information about unaccompanied minors
La Opinión reported that “according to an exclusive report from Reuters, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has shared more than 460,000 investigative records with ICE since January 2025, the agency in charge of enforcing immigration laws within the country.”
"This data included information about unaccompanied minors, their sponsors - in many cases fathers, mothers or other relatives - and also other adults who lived in the same household. According to internal documents cited by Reuters, this information was linked to more than 12,000 arrests made by ICE," the newspaper reported.
"One of the episodes reported by Reuters is that of a Mexican mother who provided documents, fingerprints and a DNA test to recover her six-year-old daughter. Days after completing the reunification, both the mother and the girl were detained and transferred to a family center in Texas, according to the investigation."
Quote of the week
"I'm afraid of going out to work and not returning home to see my daughters. I don't know what I would do if I came across those masked men, who I don't know if they are kidnappers," said Yazmín, a farm worker who has DACA and in any case fears being detained and deported. Yazmín is one of 2,250 farmworkers surveyed by the UFW Foundation.
