Food, toiletries distribution for undocumented ag workers continues amid deportation fears; first under Trump sees lower numbers

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A dozen volunteers work together to pack rice, flour, beans and toiletries in donated Trader Joe’s bags in a Watsonville backyard, just a few blocks away from the city’s center. On the other side of the fence, around 50 undocumented residents — many of whom are agriculture workers — began to form a line at the entrance, a line that would only continue to grow as the clock got closer to 2 p.m. 

Local nonprofit Center for Farmworker Families holds a food and toiletries distribution the second Friday of every month for undocumented agriculture workers. In previous months, participants were able to take their time choosing what clothes and toiletries they wanted to drop in their bags, but for the February distribution, safety was a priority. 

“All we had to do was just put bags in people’s carts and they could move along, and avoid [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] if they were going to be in the neighborhood,” said Ann Lopez, founder of the Center for Farmworker Families. 

Lopez doesn’t want to take any chances, despite Watsonville reaffirming its sanctuary city status in January, she said. “I want to do everything I can to keep people safe. If it happens, then I can look back and say, ‘I did everything I thought I could,’” she said. 

To ensure safety, the format of the distribution has changed. At the entrance to the backyard, individuals with children were asked what size of diapers they needed and later were handed a tote bag filled with toiletries and a bag of rice and beans, before grabbing fruit and vegetables outside from Second Harvest Food Bank. 

About 270 families registered for the February distribution, said Lopez, but only 170 showed up. Typically, the distribution closes up around 4 p.m., but this one ended almost an hour earlier because residents spent only a few minutes grabbing their things. 

The undocumented community is suffering from more anxiety than before, said Center for Farmworker Families board member Steve Herrera. There’s a heightened reason to streamline and make the distribution more efficient, and to continue to provide services to undocumented workers, he said. 

“No matter what’s happening politically, the human needs are still there and are exacerbated because of the current crackdown on immigration,” Herrera said. 

The nonprofit constantly changed distribution locations because of deportation fears during Donald Trump’s first presidency. For the past six years, the home base for the distributions has been a volunteer’s backyard near downtown Watsonville. 

Lopez and her team are still entertaining the idea of using different locations, but for now, she said, distributions will remain in the volunteer’s backyard. She relies on the Watsonville Police Department to check if there’s any potential danger to the community. 

“As long as [immigration agents] are not present, then there’s not much point in doing that, because it’s a huge hassle to have to move everything,” Lopez said. 

But Lopez has a backup location if there’s a serious threat to the safety of the workers, she said. 

There is fear among the community, Ernestina Solorio said, but where there’s fear, there’s also a necessity to work. Housing in Watsonville is not as affordable as it used to be, and with an agricultural worker’s wage, it’s hard to make enough to cover those costs. Currently, it’s the offseason for a lot of field workers, who primarily pick strawberries and blackberries, said Solorio — a farmworker who’s been helping Lopez for more than a decade. 

“I know families that have to provide for multiple kids, apart from paying for rent and utilities,” she said. “That’s why there’s a necessity.” 

Solorio has heard from people within the community that they are scared to run errands because of looming deportation threats. She’s even noticed that families with mixed status have been figuring out potential plans for child care if either of the parents get deported. 

Maria, who declined to give her last name due to her legal status, has been picking blackberries in Watsonville for almost 30 years, and has been lining up for the monthly distributions for years along with her friend Trinidad, who also picks blackberries. Both women are from the state of Michoacan in Mexico. 

Maria and Trinidad don’t fear the possibility of deportation. Their children are all grown up, and they have grandchildren — Trinidad had one of her grandkids in tow while waiting in line on a Friday afternoon. 

Maria believes if they live in fear, it’ll be much worse. She said that people who spread rumors about potential ICE sightings on social media are only sowing more fear in the community. 

“There is definitely fear among those who have small children, and all of my children are grown adults. So, the fear is not entirely there for me,” Maria said. She has three kids, two of whom were born in the United States. Her eldest was born in Mexico but now is a naturalized citizen, and her youngest child is 16. 

“What can we do? If we’re thinking about [deportation] before it even happens, if it does, we’re going to end up worrying about it more,” she said. “I think we shouldn’t have to worry about it until it happens.” 

Maria added that once there are more confirmed ICE sightings — there has been only one known deportation in Santa Cruz County since Trump returned to the White House — only then will she become more worried. 

“If people think about it, [immigrants] are important to this country,” said Solorio. The immigrant community is not invading the country like people say they are, she said – all they want is an opportunity to be seen as good people, people who can help contribute to the community. 

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