After immigration authorities targeted agricultural laborers in a surprise raid in California’s Kern county this year, fear-induced rumors circulated in communities around the state.
In San Francisco, a middle school student mistakenly reported seeing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agent board a transit bus, prompting the city’s school board to broadcast – and later retract – a warning to parents. In Oakland, an attorney published a post on Instagram alleging raids were occurring around the Bay Area. And in the Central valley, a medical clinic serving migrant farm workers saw patient numbers drop after rumors claimed Ice agents were targeting its patients.
