Fort Worth councilmember urges caution over fearmongering possible ICE raids
With U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids happening in Los Angeles and around the country, many in North Texas are on edge because of immigration enforcement.
Several business owners in Fort Worth said that business has been slow since Friday, and again on Monday, when many thought there was an ICE raid happening at a business on Main Street and Long Avenue, which was confirmed to be untrue. Despite the false alarm, it is bringing concerns.
Eva Maria Levario Talamantes, the owner of Las Tres Marias food truck, said business for her is slow right now. Normally, during lunch, Levario Talamantes said they would see order after order, but she believes the lag in business is due to concerns people have surrounding ICE.
"It's been affecting us this week, and now to hear they [ICE] were close by, we've been seeing less customers. I'd imagine people are scared to be in the streets, to go out," Levario Talamantes said. "That was like at 6 in the morning, and there were a lot of police… El Rancho was slow that day, and it affects us."
Fort Worth Councilman Carlos Flores released a letter cautioning people from sharing unconfirmed ICE activity.
"A lot of this is mere speculation, and it has the unfortunate effect of causing fear in some parts of our community, and that's what I don't want to happen," Flores said.
Flores said while he understands the fear many people in North Texas are feeling, people should vet those posts before spreading misinformation.
SMU Dedman School of Law professor Natalie Nanasi said whether real or not, ICE concerns have a trickle effect on the community.
"This is going to bring our communities to a standstill," said Nanasi. "Because whenever you hear a rumor like that, you're going to have people who are afraid to go to work, you're going to have people who are afraid to take their kids to school, people who are afraid to go out in and seek medical treatment, reach out to the police if they're victims of crime. And so, it has a huge chilling effect. Whether or not there is an enforcement action, these rumors can be really powerful disincentives for people to be out in the world and do the things that, honestly, we rely on them to do, and the things that make our communities work."
Flores said people can vet law enforcement activity in the area or social media posts that are circulating by contacting his office, so they can investigate the matter. He also said the community can contact the non-emergency police line or reach out to the Mexican consulate.
As for Levario Talamantes, she said she understands the concerns, and she just hopes people stay cautious.
"Try to live a normal life, go out and everything, but be alert," she said.
