Federal agents in Bay Area pushing immigrant community into hiding

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — President Donald Trump may have called off his plans for a federal deployment in San Francisco, but with federal agents already in the Bay Area many immigrants are on edge.

In San Francisco, some businesses are closed and others are reporting a decrease in customers on Thursday.

“How are you feeling today?” ABC7 News reporter Luz Pena asked.

“I’m a bit nervous and I’m afraid,” said a worker in the Mission District.

Images of federal agents arriving in Alameda on Thursday have created uncertainty throughout the Bay. A woman who did not want to be identified said fear is impacting foot traffic into the business where works but also their production this morning.

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“Are there workers who didn’t come to work today?” Pena asked.

“Yes, there are workers who decided not to come to work today because they are afraid because of everything that is going on with immigration,” said the worker.

At least six of her co-workers stayed home.

Typically, there are 33 registered street vendors on Mission Street between 25th and 22nd. All of them stayed home, except one.

A father of five said his boss told him to stay home on Thursday. He works in construction.

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“We don’t have papers, so we don’t have any sort of protections,” said the worker.

In the Mission District, there was visibly less foot traffic with some businesses closed. Susana Rojas, Executive Director for Calle 24, is on the ground having conversations with many families who are afraid.

“Seeing what transpired this morning and it is very concerning. It is not something that we ever want to see in our community whether in San Francisco or anywhere in the Bay Area and we have seen it across the country. We have seen it in other places, and nobody wants to see that here,” said Rojas.

Down the Peninsula on the San Mateo County coast, farmworkers are also concerned.

“There is a sense of questioning whether that is going to be really good or if it’s going to at some point trigger something in other communities, but there is so much that we don’t know,” said Rita Mancera, Executive Director for Puente.

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This resident was putting up flyers to help the community stay informed.

“I’s just out here handing out and hanging up flyers with the rapid response line phone numbers for multiple Bay Area counties in preparation for the danger that we are all in with this ICE search,” said Noah Shussett, Richmond resident.

Despite the president confirming there won’t be federal deployment in the city, this immigrant father said he is constantly afraid.

“My family is concerned because they are saying what happens if they deport you,” he said. “When you go out you leave your home and wonder, am I going to be able to come back?”

Immigration nonprofits tell us they are working together throughout the Bay Area and monitoring the situation closely with multiple scenarios – ready to respond.