Community advocates in Lake Worth Beach say a coordinated law enforcement operation earlier this week left families frightened and scrambling — and raised new concerns about how immigration enforcement is unfolding in local neighborhoods.
Residents and local organizations tell WPTV they spent hours recording and tracking what they describe as a “city-wide raid,” involving several agencies, including Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Community advocates document what they call ‘city-wide raid’
Inside the Guatemalan Maya Center, Christmas presents typically meant to bring joy to local families now sit untouched. Staff say instead of focusing on holiday support, they have shifted to helping families stay together.
“Border Patrol, HSI and other law enforcement agencies… they began detaining people early in the morning — mainly traffic stops… landscaping, construction… we saw it across the city,” said Mariana Blanco, the center’s director of operations…