Undocumented migrants in LA fear Trump raids, stay hidden
'It's terrible,' said the 60-year-old Salvadoran, who lacks legal status. 'It's a confinement I wouldn't wish upon anyone.'
To survive, Alberto relies on food deliveries from a local aid group twice a week. 'It helps me a lot, because if I don't have this... how will I eat?' he said, having stopped working at a car wash for weeks.
The recent surge in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids has led to mass arrests at workplaces and public spaces, sparking protests and fear among the city's undocumented population.
Videos circulating online show masked, armed officers detaining individuals accused of being criminals.
Critics argue that many arrested were simply working low-wage jobs unwanted by Americans.
The raids, described as brutal and indiscriminate, have triggered demonstrations, some turning violent.
Alberto went into hiding after friends were arrested and deported in a car wash raid. Despite needing medical care for pre-diabetes, he hesitates to leave home.
'I'm very stressed. I have headaches and body pain because I was used to working,' he admitted.
Trump's aggressive immigration policies, a key re-election pledge, have shocked Los Angeles, home to hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers.
Public transport use dropped 13.5% in June as migrants avoid movement.
'Certain neighborhoods look like ghost towns,' said Norma Fajardo of the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center, which now delivers food to those too afraid to leave home.
ICE arrested over 2,200 people in Los Angeles in June, with 60% having no criminal record.
With Congress approving $30 billion to expand ICE operations, including hiring 10,000 more agents, Fajardo expects no relief. 'This seems like the new normal,' she said.
Marisol, a Honduran woman, has confined herself and 12 family members to their home for weeks.
'We thank God for the food deliveries,' she said, too scared to attend church. Her family, who fled gang violence in Honduras, now questions staying in the U.S.
'My sons say they'd prefer to go to Europe,' she revealed. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Trump orders nuclear submarines moved near Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks after signing the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be positioned in regions near Russia in response to threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," Trump said in a social media post that called Medvedev's statements highly provocative. He said he ordered the submarines moved "just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances." Trump and Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, traded taunts in recent days after Trump on Tuesday said Russia had "10 days from today" to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit, along with its oil buyers, with tariffs. Moscow, which has set out its own terms for peace in Ukraine, has shown no sign that it will comply with Trump's deadline. Medvedev on Monday accused Trump of engaging in a "game of ultimatums" and reminded him that Russia possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort after Trump told Medvedev to "watch his words." Medvedev has emerged as one of the Kremlin's most outspoken anti-Western hawks since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Kremlin critics deride him as an irresponsible loose cannon, though some Western diplomats say his statements illustrate the thinking in senior Kremlin policy-making circles. (Reporting by Ryan Patrick Jones in Toronto; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Medicaid, Trump tax cuts 'kick off' 2026 campaign
RESIDENTS of Columbus, Indiana awoke last week to a yellow billboard purchased by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) blaring: "Under Trump's Watch, Columbus Regional Health is Cutting Medical Services." Meanwhile, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which oversees races for the United States House of Representatives, last month launched a digital ad campaign touting President Donald Trump's tax cuts and blaming Democrats for spiking inflation. As members of Congress return to their home districts for the August recess, the Democratic and Republican parties are launching ad blitzes centred around the tax-cut and spending bill Trump signed into law on July 4, in an unofficial start to the 2026 midterm election campaign. Democrats are focusing their message around access to healthcare while Republicans are countering that the tax provisions will put more money in voters' pockets. The bill makes permanent Trump's 2017 tax cuts and funds his immigration enforcement crackdown, while reducing healthcare and food aid. It devotes US$170 billion to immigration enforcement while cutting US$1.1 trillion from Medicaid and other public health programmes and US$186 billion in food assistance. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that 10 million people would lose their health insurance by 2034 as a result of the bill, and that the tax provisions and increased immigration and military spending would increase the federal deficit by US$3.4 trillion over the next decade. Republican strategists say they have plenty of time to sell the bill's benefits. "We will use every tool to show voters that the provisions in this bill are widely popular," said Mike Marinella, a spokesman for the NRCC. And the party has a cash advantage. The Republican National Committee (RNC) had US$81 million in cash at the end of June, compared with the DNC's US$15 million during the same period. The RNC also enjoys a huge asset in a sitting president who is still holding fundraisers for big-ticket donors. Republicans can only afford a net loss of two of the 220 seats they hold in the House to maintain control. In the Senate, they have a 53-47 advantage. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted last month, some 64 per cent of registered voters oppose cuts to Medicaid and food stamps in return for lower taxes for everyone. Democrats are seizing on that sentiment, pushing the idea that Republicans have taken away healthcare to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires. "Republicans threw working families under the bus to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, and we'll never let them — or voters — forget that," said DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman in a statement. "This will define the midterms." Republicans say the bill's provisions on tips, overtime and Social Security show the party is focused on issues affecting working families. They also point to a US$50 billion fund the bill establishes to help rural hospitals. Another Republican strategy memo prepared by Trump's pollsters, urges candidates to "lead on kitchen-table issues." Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to tie Medicaid cuts to reduced healthcare access and higher costs. The DNC's website claims that the bill will "cost the poorest 10 per cent of households US$1,600 a year while raising the income of the richest 10 per cent of Americans by US$12,000 a year". Unrig Our Economy, a left-leaning group, is running ads in Iowa, Arizona and Pennsylvania depicting voters voicing frustration at their Republican lawmakers for voting for Trump's bill. "I'm so angry that Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks just voted for the largest cut to Medicaid in history to give tax breaks to billionaires," said one ad in Iowa, featuring a Davenport resident identified as Maria. Protect Our Care, a left-leaning healthcare advocacy organisation, said it planned to spend up to US$10 million on ads in the first half of next year, largely focused on urging Republican lawmakers to restore funding to Medicaid. Climate Power and the League of Conservation Voters spent US$500,000 on an ad pressuring lawmakers in six congressional districts to vote against the bill, claiming that it would increase electricity rates, according to its president, Pete Maysmith.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Friday (Aug 1, 2025)
Malaysia: * Media a vital bridge of information between police and public, says IGP * Penang defers implementation of new water tariffs to July 2026 * Children accused of crime must be treated with dignity, says Suhakam * US cuts Malaysia tariff to 19% from 25% * 'Governor's family not involved in student's death' * Malaysia factory slump eases as July PMI hits five-month high * Four teens nabbed for allegedly beating up classmate in Kajang mall * Malaysian pharmaceuticals, semiconductors exempt from US tariffs, minister says * Reduction of US tariff rate to 19% a significant achievement, says Zafrul * Kuching Waterfront set to be longest riverfront nationwide * Unemployed man charged with raping former sister-in-law in Cheras * Man who stabbed cop in KL tests positive for dugs * Ten police officers nabbed by MACC to face disciplinary action, says Bukit Aman * CAAM-Mavcom rationalisation in effect, Mohd Sharil is new chairman, says Transport Ministry * Minimum wage extended to contract apprentices as amended law takes effect, says HR Ministry * Teen pregnancies still an issue in Sabah due to poor sex education, says state assistant minister East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta delivers his speech at the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) Secretariat in Jakarta on August 1, 2025. -- Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP Singapore: * Man accused of raping Singaporean woman who hired him to fix lights in her flat claims she made first move * Three Singaporean men charged over living on the earnings of prostitution * Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Singapore says affected road will open progressively to motorists from noon on Aug 2 * Singapore's 2024 MRT breakdown could have been prevented with better coordination: SMRT CEO * HK actor Raymond Lam and family kick off their summer vacation in Singapore * Mariah Carey to stage shows in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Japan * Asia: Stocks struggle as Trump unveils new tariff sweep * S'pore cop among trio held over illegal exit attempt * US, Australia hold joint military exercise in Papua New Guinea for first time * Singapore's OCBC sees lower 2025 net interest income, Q2 profit matches forecasts Indonesia: * A treat for Nusantara music fans - Indonesian star Pamungkas and local boys Fugo join in the fun for Panggung Purnama concert on Sept 28 * World economies reel from Trump's tariffs punch, but most South-East Asian countries rejoice thanks to kinder rates * Indonesian President Prabowo pardons political opponents * RM2mil drug haul: Syndicate smuggling to Indonesia busted * Farmer charged with trafficking six Indonesians into country * Prabowo's political rivals among over 1,000 granted clemency * Paradise beaches sit empty as Indonesia bets on saturated Bali * Oil steadies as concerns about tariff impacts vie with Russian supply threats Foreign military attaches from major powers and Asean member countries, along with diplomats from 23 countries and Thai military personnel, visit a shelter in Sisaket province following a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand, where displaced people have been staying since July 24, in Sisaket province, Thailand, August 1, 2025. -- Photo: REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa Thailand: * Thailand seeks neutral venue for border talks with Cambodia; Malaysia seems to be best venue * Thailand welcomes 19% US tariff as 'major success' * Trump sets 19% tariff on Thailand, Cambodia after peace deal' * Court to rule on Thaksin's hospitalisation jail dodge * Trump's tariffs send Asian FX markets reeling, won leads losses * New US tariffs draw regional reactions across Asia-Pacific * Trump's call broke deadlock in Thailand-Cambodia border crisis Philippines: * World Bank to provide US$700mil loan to boost Philippines' resilience to natural disasters * Philippines national nabbed at Kota Kinabalu airport with fake travel passes * Philippines' Marcos eyes India trade, defence in talks with Modi * Philippines records 10.5bil pesos infrastructure damage due to south-west monsoon, cyclones with death toll at 37 * Asian currencies fall to two-month low as tariff deadline nears * On World Day Against Trafficking, UN sounds alarm on scam centre surge China's swimmer Peng Xuwei dives as she competes in a semi-final of the women's 200m backstroke swimming event during the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Friday, August 1, 2025. -- Photo by François-Xavier MARIT / AFP Vietnam: * Weather havoc in Vietnam - Flash floods kill three in mountainous north, nine more people missing * Vietnamese PM calls for completion of 3,000 km of expressways by end-2025 * Flooding leaves 14 dead, missing in Vietnam's Dien Bien * Vietnamese lychees attract global buyers * Asia's factory activity worsens as US trade uncertainty bites * Countries with no trade deal will hear from US by midnight, White House says Myanmar: * Myanmar enforces Cybersecurity Law, targeting unauthorised online gambling and VPN services * Myanmar imposes martial law in 63 townships following state of emergency declaration * US tariff set to shift Indochina economic balance with Myanmar and Laos worst hit * Japan says 'seriously concerned' about Myanmar elections without release of those detained * Conflict-ridden Myanmar to vote A crew disembarks the Indian Navy ship guided-missile destroyer, INS Delhi, that is docked at Manila's port, Philippines, on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. -- AP Photo/Aaron Favila Cambodia: * Cambodia to nominate Donald Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, says deputy PM * Thailand returns two wounded soldiers to Cambodia but continues to hold 18 of their comrades * Cambodia says the country had agreed to talks in Malaysia at Thailland's request * Cambodia deputy PM says 19% US tariff rate averts collapse of its garments manufacturing sector * Hun Manet urges troop release as ceasefire holds Laos: * Russia, Laos sign seven documents, including a roadmap for nuclear cooperation * US tariff set to shift Indochina economic balance with Myanmar and Laos worst hit * Laos launches digital ID system Brunei: * Brunei announces enforcement on abuse of dominant positions * Brunei lion dance team heads to Kuala Lumpur for international debut * Brunei enforces key provisions of the Competition Act Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith applause during a ceremony of exchange of documents following their meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia. -- AP AseanPlus: * Penang chosen as filming spot for Miss HK Pageant 2025, joined by TVB stars Benjamin Yuen & Moon Lau * Save my baby: Mother gives up baby girl while being nabbed during immigration raid in Tawau * What's it like to scale the highest active volcano in South-East Asia * Immigration nabs dozens of foreigners in raids on Pontian nightclubs * Actress Eleanor Lee wins lawsuit against former assistant who doctored her audio recording * Captain of Turkish yacht found safe after 40-hour ordeal at sea * Forget dating apps: More young Malaysians go back to face-to-face interactions * Beijing officials admit 'gaps' in readiness after rains kill dozens * Man's naked body found surrounded by sex toys in Hong Kong flat * China prepares to unseat US in fight for AI market * Hong Kong police arrest 82 triad suspects, seize assets worth HK$15 million * The cultural lore and hidden gems in 'KPop Demon Hunters' * Trump says tariffs talks with China 'moving along well' * Landslide-prone Nepal tests AI-powered warning system * Australian minister says US tariffs to remain at 10% * Hong Kong GDP expands 3.1%, faster than forecast * Japanese woman with child injured in subway station attack in China, says Tokyo embassy * Ancient 'lamp shells' practised social distancing, fossil find in China reveals * Renewable energy on fast lane amid China's green transition * Nvidia says no 'backdoors' in chips as China questions security * Chinese warships arrive in Russia for joint Pacific naval exercise * Did a lab of AI 'scientists' design a possible Covid-19 treatment? * Taiwan to seek lower tariff after Trump's 'temporary' 20% levy * China's manufacturing activity shrinks as exports drag, S&P PMI shows * Trump sets 10% to 41% 'reciprocal' tariffs on dozens of countries' exports * Toddler survives deadly encounter with cobra by biting its head off * Japan plans another record hike in minimum wage, Kyodo News says * Woman, 35, to deny making false statement to secure Hong Kong study permit * China, HK stocks book steepest weekly losses since April on soft data, Trump tariffs * Hulk Hogan's racist sex tape influenced estranged daughter Brooke to remove herself from will * China courier puts sick daughter in delivery box at work to save on childcare * Will China win renewables race while US pivots to fossil fuels and nuclear? * Wu Yiquan: The Chinese AI researcher scoring big on the basketball court * South Korea says it has no written pact on US trade deal * South Korean restaurant owner puts pet dog inside fridge to prevent animal from overheating * US President Trump hits dozens of countries' goods with steep tariffs; Canada, Brazil and India among worst hit * Heat fuels China's booming night-time tourism - As sweltering heat waves sweep across China, a recent tourist trend has emerged * South Korea's former President strongly resists special counsel's attempt to arrest him for questioning * South Korea's ex-leader Yoon lay on floor of cell and refused to be questioned, prosecutors say / New arrest warrant for Yoon over missed summons
