- i had health insurance before. (discouraged) so expensive. i mean, i'm helping my mom out, i don't have that kinda cash. - ugh, i know. but you can get financial help now through covered california. it's totally affordable. you'd be surprised. they've got this calculator thing that shows how much you'll pay. - for real? - yeah! what are you doing not having health insurance, man? - hey, i know, i know... - here, let me show you... - we all have questions. covered california has answers and can find a health plan that's right for you. covered california. this way to health insurance. damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo. welcome to 2025. well, on the show today, we're going to hit the ground running. we're going to tackle immigration today and what we can do in our cities and our communities on your "comunidad del valle." and can find a health plan that's right for you. ♪♪♪

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ damian: we begin today with the rapid response network in santa clara county. they are on the lookout for ice in our communities. with me is engels garcia. he is the executive director of human agenda. engels, welcome to "comunidad del valle." engels garcia: thank you so much, damian, for the invitation, and i'm happy to be here. damian: thank you for being here. first of all, tell us about human agenda. who are you guys? engels: human agenda is a nonprofit organization based in san josé. we have four main programs, and one of them is legal services. so we do provide removal defense to the santa clara county residents. damian: so you have a pulse on what's happening out there on the streets a week into the inauguration, a week into the new presidency. what is the sense, what is the feeling out on the streets, engels? engels: well, unfortunately, a lot of people are in

fear, right? as in 2 weeks ago we--there were rumors of ice. and fortunately we had a team in place to actually corroborate whether or not ice is in the county and at the time we were able to confirm that there was no ice activity in the county, but there was a sheriff operation. so, unfortunately, that's--that was just 2 weeks ago. but we did notice that we had hundreds of calls that we were not able to actually take, but we were able to corroborate that there was no ice activity. damian: so what happened was the sheriff's office was conducting a routine warrant. they're serving a warrant for a convicted felon for weapons or whatnot, but people--bystanders who saw it thought it was ice and so they sounded the alarm. we expect to get more of that, right, in the coming days, weeks, months. engels: yes, and i think that's why it's imperative that the community knows how to distinguish that not all ice--well, no law--not all law enforcement activities means ice, but it will be important for the community to call us to

confirm and see if that's actually true or not. yes. damian: we're going to put up the hotline at the end--we have three segments with you. at the end of each segment, we're going to put up the hotline for people to call the rapid response network. but who makes up, engels, the rapid response network? engels: well, it's basasicallyt mostly also from community-based organizations, and currently we have, i believe, six organizations working on them. right now human agenda is part of the legal team within the rapid response network. we have latinos unidos por una nueva américa, which is another community-based organization. we have catholic charities, pangea legal services, caras from south county. we have amigos de guadalupe, who is a fiscal sponsor, and also we're working with mexican consulate to actually be part of our team as well. damian: and so when somebody calls that hotline, it goes to--or one person sends a text to all of you, say, who can verify what kind of activity is happening out there?

engels: right. they can call the phone number, right, and then we have a team in place to actually want to send responders to confirm whether or not ice is in the activity, to basically--or to send people to the places that the people are basically saying the ice is. we have a team called rapid responders, yes. damian: and you can't stop the ice operations, right? if they have a legitimate warrant for an arrest of somebody, you--it's a warrant. it's signed by a judge. you can't stop it. you're just there to make sure that civil rights are not violated. engels: exactly. basically their work is to take notes and to film. that's all. they're--they cannot intervene in any of those operations. damian: and i think more important than anything, engels, is letting the rest of the community know, "okay, this was a legitimate ice call--no, this was a false ice call." that way it puts people at ease because even a simple text or a facebook post or instagram that ice is in the neighborhood, it

sends shock waves throughout the entire neighborhood. engels: yes, exactly. that's why we need a lot of volunteers to help us be the eyes of the rrn in the community so that we can stay--issue statements and what--to confirm whether or not ice is in that community, yes. so that's why the rapid responsers are super critical for--within that team. damian: okay, i want to talk about the training that these rapid response network volunteers go through in our next segment, if you don't mind. but, again, we're going to show you that number right now. this is a number that goes into the rapid response netwowork. there is a number on the screen: 408-290-1144. and they speak several different languages there. again, human agenda is one of the organizations that's part of this, but they spearhead a lot of these efforts. we'll be back and talk to engels here on "comunidad del valle." stay with us. ♪♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪ dreams begin here. welcome to the goodnight club. damian: we're here with engels garcia on "comunidad del valle." he's the executive director of human agenda, also part of the rapid response network.

and so not everybody, engels, can sign up and say, "i want to dreams begin here. be part of this network. i want to go out and for chisme purposes find out if this is really going on." find--tell us the training that goes--that these volunteers go through. engels: in generals terms basically; yes, we go--for our trainings we have different teams that actually go over what is the--let's say a judicial warrant arrest, what is a administrative document that ice might use to detain people. and the idea is that we tell them that it's really up to whatever they feel that the capa--they can do, but the point is that they're going to be--either be in the ice writing notes or record the situation. and this is primimarily a le--a volunteer role for people who are us citizens and are specifically white-passing because people right now--given the situation right now it's going to be really, really complicated, but we do emphasize that this role is primarily for us citizens.

damian: wow, tt's a very interesting point, and you have to do it that way because, right, you don't want now the--whoever--whatever agency is out there to kind of flip around and now put you in the bull's-eye. engels: yeah. or put the volunteers at risk, right? even though--even if they are green card holders, right now given that there's all kinds of activities happening, that could jeopardize their case. and so right now we're just basically--we--for this specifically aspect of the rrn, we do ask for us citizens to volunteer for this part. yes. but anyone is welcome, by the way, but that's what we have noticed, yeah. damian: i don't know if i want to call it training, but in president trump's last term 4 years ago and before that you went through this--again, you had--you went through the false calls for ice and rapid response network was established then. so you kind of had a dry run on what to expect this time around. engels: yeah, i know. definitely this time we are a little bit more prepared, but currently there's a huge demand.

a lot of people e calling us for general questions, and that's not what we are for. there are other agencies that they can contact, but unfortunately right now a lot of people are calling us for unfortunately we don't have the capacity for that. advice and but for right now--and at least from the previous administration from trump 1.01--.0, i'm sorry. yes, we actually were able to confirm ice activities and actually provide legal representation for impacted members of--in the community, yes. damian: wow, good to know. there is a website, a nonprofit called calmatters, and calmatters is reporting that the federal government wants to put a huge detention facility within 2 hours of san francisco. how worrisome is that for you and for those who live around here? engels: well, that's a complicated question, right? it really depends on the community to answer that. right now in order for our attorneys to contact ice we need

to know where they're sending them, and sometimes there were cases where people were sent to other states just to process them. so it really depends. that's a difficult question to answer. some people advocate for--to have a detention center close to their families. other people suggest that it's counterproducive to actually have a detention center in our community. so right now we don't have, like, a stand on this currently. damian: and, engels, your volunteers--i don't know if you have a psychology or counseling degree, but when you respond to a lot of these cases, you're dealing with families who have just gone through mental trauma. i'm hearing from kids who are afraid to sit in class because they fear that ice is going to come get them or their parents won't be home when they get home because ice has gotten them. talk about the emotional impact that these children are going through. engels: yeah, definitely. i think that's what pretty much all of our clients and the community in general are in a state of fear. but at least from our point of view as a human agenda, as a

rapid response network, want to be able to convey a message that there is still as in right now a due process, there's ways to defend yourselves, there's still ways to find relief, and we're here to help. damian: so you are able to--you're--if there is an ice activity, you're there, you'll respond, you're documented, if you can. you'll provide folks with references to legal services if it com to that? engels: yes, actually. and we're going toe able to actually provide a urgent or emergency consultation depending on the situation. so yes, we're going to advocate for the release of their family member. damian: all right. well, a lot of great information. again, this is the rapid response network in santa clara county. lots of counties throughout california have this same type of volunteer effort. there's a number on the screen: 408-290-1144. that's the hotline for the rapid response network. if there's any ice activity, they'd like to know so that they can see if they can provide any service. we'll be back and wrap it up with the rapid response network

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damian: we're back on "comunidad del valle" with engels garcia. he is executive director of human agenda and also with the rapid response network. one important issue that you and i talked about off camera, engels, that there's a lot that we don't know and that makes things a little more difficult. engels: yeah, there's a lot happening right now that we don't know what the real implications are in real lives. you know, trump just signed a series of executive actions. and in reality what does that mean? how is that going to impact the due process for a lot of families, for anyone basically in remove proceedings? we don't know. even the professionals who are training legal providers don't have answers to this. yeah. damian: and what should families at home who are fearful and if

they do come in contact with ice, what should they be prepared for? what should they do? what should they say? what should they not say? engels: well, just for general purposes, this not--this is not legal advice, but we do tell the community that they have the right to remain silent. they do have a right to a due process. i think that's the most important thing, that as in right now, today, this morning a due process exists in this country and people have to--have the right to defend themselves. damian: all right, what else should people know at this point, engles? what advice, what message can you send to the families out there? i know that we can't be posting on social media something that is false because that just exacerbates the situation. it sends everybody running in fear. that's maybe a point that we want to emphasize. engels: correct. i mean, i know--i understand that our people are in fear and by that they're--they feel that they're hopeless, but i think this is a moment for--to remember that there are other

organizations providing know-your-rights presentations; and i think this is an invitation for everybody to seek those services to get informed, to get to know their constitutional rights, to know who's out there, what communities and organizations are providing what services. there's a lot of things that we can do proactively in order to not be in a state of fear. and remember, i mean, a lot--i'm hearing from a lot of community members that, "what if, like, we do something to counteract the situation? if we see ice in our community, why don't we do a labor strike and stop working for that week or for that particular moment?" and i thought that was a great idea, and that emphasizes that besides being victims we're actually powerful and we are important to this society. without our labo the economy does not move. so i think that was very, very powerful. damian: absolutely. and in the salinas valley, for example, where all the 55,000 farmworkers are there every year, it's a $4 billion

industry, billion with a b, and if you consider mass deportations, then who's going to pick the strawberries, the lettuce, and the tomatoes, right? engels: yeah, yeah. it's like a contradictory relationship, right? there's people who in the government do not want immi--undocumented immigrants yet the undocumented immigrants benefit all--thehe societyt large. so that's really the reality we're facing. damian: and you're still learning, right? you and your team are still learning. you just got out of a meeting where you talking about the latest and we learn as we go. engels: yeah, we're consulting with the experts and the experts are basically just saying that everything is in the state of flux. we just don't know right now what the reality is on the impact on all these executive actions happening. this--there is proposed legislation currently right now in the senate where they're voting whether or not to process people who committed crimes of theft and what does that even mean. even--i think there's language that even if you are charged,

meaning that even if you are accused of stealing something, that could basically be grounds for deportation. so that's a complete violation of due process as well. so yes, things are getting complicated and complex. damian: the next 4 years are going to be busy for you, engels. engels: yes, definitely for everybody. and i think it's important to remain calm and to basically seek information and stay relevant to the information that other organizations are doing. the rapid response network is just one tool. it's not enough. the population in this county is close to 2 million. and i think the answer will rely in our community to defend ourselves, to be ready to do--to protect one another. damian: all right. engels garcia, executive director of human agenda and also with the rapid response network, thank you so much. a lot of great information and--well, good luck to you in the next 4 years, and you let us know if you hear anything. engels: thank you, damian. talk to you soon. damian: thank you, engels. good luck. right--again, the rapid response network hotline is on the screen.

it's put on by human agenda and several other nonprofits throughout santa clara county. again, a lot of counties in the bay area in california have the same type of response team. they will go out if there is some ice activity and document it, make sure that civil rights are not being violated when that happens. but there is that hotline for more information. up next here on "comunidad del valle," attorney andrew newcomb, immigration attorney. we talked to him before the holidays. we want to get back to that interview because he shared some very important information. stay with us.

- i had health insurance before. (discouraged) so expensive. i mean, i'm helping my mom out, i don't have that kinda cash. - ugh, i know. but you can get financial help now through covered california. it's totally affordable. you'd be surprised. th've got this calculator thing that shows how much you'll pay. - for real? - yeah! what are you doing not having health insurance, man? - hey, i know, i know... - here, let me show you... - we all have questions. covered california has answers and can find a health plan that's right for you. covered california. this way to health insurance. damian: well, if you want to get a hold of us here on "comunidad del valle," you can follow me on instagram. my handle is @newsdamiantrujillo. there is also my email address on the screen and our website for more information. and can find a health plan that's right for you. we thank you for sharing a part of your sunday once again here on "comunidad del valle." a lot of important topics in this coming year. we do want to leave you with that interview with immigration attorney, andrew newcomb. we did it just before the holidays, but the topic is still very relevant today. we'll see you here next week. buenos dias. damian: well, with the threat of mass deportations, many people

and community organizations are scrambling. we have our expert here on "comunidad del valle" today. andrew newcomb is an immigration attorney. he joins us now on "comunidad del valle." welcome back to the show, andrew. andrew newcomb: thank you, damian. it's great to be here. damian: thank you for being here. well, we spoke with the ceo of the latino community foundation, julián castro, just ter the elections and he says that we need to treat the threats of mass deportations as a 5 alarm fire. what say you? andrew: i think that that's an apt description of what we're looking at. the trump administration ran into some procedural hurdles certainly during its first 4 years; but this is a different time when he feels as though he has a public mandate, he's been given blanket immunity for any potential misdeeds by the supreme court, and he's learned how to operate through the system. now, having said that, the first time around he made a lot of outlandish promises; for example, that there was going to be a big, beautiful border wall that mexico was going to pay for. we saw that--we observed that none of those things came to pass. and so i think we should focus on--you can think of it as

though they were rings on a planet in terms of proximity to danger, and i think the first ring where we have the greatest proximity to danger would be people that have criminal records or people that have prior orders of removal. i think the likelihood that he goes into neighborhoods and starts randomly arresting people because of their appearance that don't have those factors present is much less likely. i mean, they could be swept up in raids. of course, that's always something that could happen. but it's important to focus on those two communities within the undocumented communityhat are at greatest risk. damian: so the first targets, if target is the proper word, are those who already might have a target on their back, that have had so run-ins with the law in one way or another. andrew: certainly, damian. and i want to just distinguish, you know, people that have had--that have a criminal record, their information is going to be in federal databases just like state databases. however, many people maybe they haven't had any run-ins with the law, but they initially came in seeking asylum, unfortunately their asylum case was denied, ultimately they appealed their asylum case up to the board of immigration appeals, and then

their appeal was rejected. and so that's considered more of a civil penalty, but they would also be within--i mean, the court would have updated records of their home information and that kind of thing. now, governor newsom's office has made some commitments that he is not going to work along with the trump administration in his goal of doing mass deportations, which can be very beneficial in the sense of state and local law enforcement not being willing to share that information and to be able to continue providing a kind of a sanctuary for the undocumented community here in california. damian: this past week senator alex padilla urged, and other senators, they urged the biden administration to fortify, solidify tps and daca. what is he trying to do? andrew: well, so daca right now is up on appeal at the fifth circuit. so that--likely they still haven't made a final decision as to what ultimately was an injunction by a lower district court judge. often these litigations are started within a--with a favorable court for, you know, conservative anti-immigration

advocates within texas and then it's appealed through the fifth circuit, which is also historically been an unfriendly circuit for the undocumented community. now, with respect to daca, it's going to take the path that it takes to go through the court. however, people with daca should take advantage of advanced parole and look for an opportunity to travel to mexico and come back in with a lawful entry and admission. this can provide very important immigration benefits down the road. when it comes to tps--the difference between daca and tps is that tps is technically a lawful status. daca is just a promise that the government is not going to deport you. so with tps, people have an unabridged right to travel. however, those designations, for example, for people from honduras, from haiti, from el salvador, they need to be extended. so one thing the biden administration could do right now is he could try to extend those tps statuses a few years into the future and try to issue some executive order shielding them from future executive action. that--whether or not that could be effective in the long term remains to be seen, but it would certainly be very helpful and

comforting for a lot of people that are living here in the united states right now with tps. damian: but because--can't president-elect trump come in and nullify one executive order with another executive order? andrew: sure, that would get into an issue and it could--it would probably be subject to litigation likely and at least it could cause challenges. there could be injunctions issued. a lot of what the plan to resist trump's mass deportation has to do with challenging his actions in court. so even a president's executive order, as we saw with the biden marriage parole executive order, can be subject to judicial review. they picked a very friendly forum in texas, just like californians can pick a very friendly forum in san francisco. so if biden extends the parole and then trump intent--attempts to undo that extension, we could file for an injunction to stop that undoing of the extension in the first place. so either way, it would be--get messy. it would be a legal battle. but these things take longer than 4 years to reach the supreme court anyway, by which time trump would be out of office and we'd have a whole new paradigm to work in.

damian: since election day, how busy have you been? your phones are ringing off the hook. andrew: yeah, people are co--yes, damian, people are concerned. people are afraid right now. folks that maybe in the past wouldn't have been animated to get started on their paperwork are now feeling fear. there's a lot of feelings of nervousness and panic within the community. and so, you know, immigration lawyers are becoming more busy. and also as, you know, these kinds of detentions and removal proceedings are initiated, we have to remember there are still due process considerations. you can't just scoop someone off the street, determine that they're here unlawfully, and put them on a plane and deport them summarily without them having had a right to present any motions, to present any defenses on their own behalf. so we are more busy. we anticipate to get even busier as the weeks turn into months and trump takes over the executive, but it's important to remember that there are lawful due process protections in place to protect people from that kind of summary deportation. damian: all right. in our next segment i'm going to ask you to give us some consejos, your advice for free on "comunidad del valle," here,

on what we should know going forward. but the offices of attorney andrew newcomb are right here in the south bay. there is the website for more information. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ male: [speaking indigenous language] [speaking indigenous language] [speaking indigenous language] [speaking indigenous language]

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