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Living in lockdown: Undocumented immigrants trade freedom for safety
Los Angeles Times ^ | June 26, 2025 3 AM PT | Andrea Castillo, Queenie Wong

Posted on 06/26/2025 11:34:37 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

WASHINGTON — An undocumented man from Guatemala who has leukemia postponed chemotherapy because he was afraid to go to the hospital.

A Mexican grandmother packed most of her belongings into boxes, in case she is deported.

A Pentecostal church in East Los Angeles has lost nearly half of its in-person membership.

Across California and the U.S., immigrants are responding to the Trump administration’s unrelenting enforcement raids by going into lockdown. Activities that were once a regular or even mundane part of life — taking kids to school, buying groceries, driving — have become daunting as immigrants who lack legal authorization grapple with how to avoid arrest and deportation.

To stay safe, some immigrants have swapped in-person activities with digital approximations. Others are simply shutting themselves away from society.

“It’s a harmful form of racial profiling combined with the suspension of constitutional rights and due process. That’s why many families are staying at home,” said Victor Narro, a professor and project director for the UCLA Labor Center.

Pastor Carlos Rincon, who leads a Pentecostal church in East Los Angeles, said that about 400 people used to attend his church every week, people with roots in Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras. Now, half as many attend and viewership of live-streamed services on Facebook and YouTube has increased. Some prayer groups meet on Zoom.

In January, the Trump administration said immigration agents were free to make arrests in sensitive locations once considered off limits, such as hospitals, schools and churches.

At Rincon’s church — which he asked not be named for concern about retaliation — fear has colored life in ways large and small.

A congregant in his late 20s who has leukemia postponed his chemotherapy, afraid he could be caught and deported to Guatemala. After he decided to reschedule...

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Mexico; US: California
KEYWORDS: aliens; andreacastillo; california; deportthemall; fafo; fakenews; ice; illegals; losangelesslimes; ohnoanywayaliens; queeniewong
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An undocumented man from Guatemala who has leukemia postponed FREE chemotherapy because he was afraid to go to the hospital.

Fixed it.

1 posted on 06/26/2025 11:34:37 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
...immigrants who lack legal authorization...

No matter how much you hate gaslight presstitutes, you don't hate them enough.

2 posted on 06/26/2025 11:36:34 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The LA Times should shove their violins.


3 posted on 06/26/2025 11:36:41 AM PDT by Luke21
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The LA Slimes has been publishing one illegal immigrant sob story after another. The paper is an absolute disgrace, an apologist and protector of the corrupt Democrat Party that has ruined California.


4 posted on 06/26/2025 11:37:48 AM PDT by dowcaet
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

My goodness...I can hardly hold back the tears!


5 posted on 06/26/2025 11:38:56 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

i wish all of these people the best of luck....

...in their home countries

AMF!

give self deportation a chance


6 posted on 06/26/2025 11:39:20 AM PDT by joshua c
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I recall going to get admitted to the hospital for my leukemia treatments… driving into the city during the violent protests. Armed police with long guns protected the hospital from thugs. Nobody gave too craps nor did the msm interview me about it.


7 posted on 06/26/2025 11:40:07 AM PDT by HollyB
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To: All

If they were Americans they would know : Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.


8 posted on 06/26/2025 11:41:27 AM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They’re free to go back to their countries of origin and live in safety.


9 posted on 06/26/2025 11:43:03 AM PDT by chuckb87
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The Mother of All Illegal Alien Sob Stories

They can all achieve “safety” by simply moving home


10 posted on 06/26/2025 11:45:35 AM PDT by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
A Mexican grandmother packed most of her belongings into boxes, in case she is deported.

Deport yourself, Abuela. Turn and face south, then start walking. Mexico is that way.

11 posted on 06/26/2025 11:45:48 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

They need to publish all the names and addresses of these poor immigrants so we know where to send our donations.


12 posted on 06/26/2025 11:45:51 AM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Wake up, smell the cat food in your bank account. )
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To: joshua c

“Living in lockdown”

They’re almost there. Soon.

The next stage is self deportation.

Give the Trump administration credit, it’s a brilliant strategy.


13 posted on 06/26/2025 11:49:17 AM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

1. Go back home to Guatemala and get treatment there...

2. Good be ready to go Mexican grandmother, dont wait to be deported, just go back home.

3. They werent Christians and they didnt intend to be...no repentance there...


14 posted on 06/26/2025 11:53:08 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Is the intention here to illicit sympathy for the law scoffers?
I am unable to GAD.


15 posted on 06/26/2025 11:53:46 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
The idea of a news broadcast once was to find someone with information and broadcast it. The idea now is to find someone with ignorance and spread it around.

P. J. O'Rourke

16 posted on 06/26/2025 11:55:52 AM PDT by atomic_dog
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Does he think people are stupid and can't find him?

Rev. Carlos Rincon is the CEO and president of Instituto de Avance Integral Latino Community Development Corporation. Carlos Rincon has been pastoring Centro de Vida Victoriosa church in Los Angeles for the last 35 years and has developed strong ties with the community.

17 posted on 06/26/2025 11:59:44 AM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder if they realize how happy these stories make MAGA folk?

I’ve been wanting this aggressive enforcement of our immigration laws for over 40 years!


18 posted on 06/26/2025 12:02:23 PM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I don’t get the “hide and seek” for real.

Pack up, and GTFO!!!!!

LA Times lamenting all their Democrat voter base leaving SoCal.


19 posted on 06/26/2025 12:04:53 PM PDT by pacificus
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Get out of my country!


20 posted on 06/26/2025 12:06:27 PM PDT by Bigg Red ( Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.)
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