A father from Los Angeles was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in front of his young children while he was securing them in their car seats for school, according to his wife.
“It was just a regular morning,” Loreal Duran of Echo Park said when describing the events of January 23. As her husband, Giovanni Duran, 42, secured their two children in the car, an immigration officer approached and asked Loreal for identification. “As he got closer to the car, he saw my husband, and basically, he just went around to the other side to grab my husband out of the car and take him away,” she told CalMatters.
Giovanni, an individual who arrived in California from El Salvador at the age of 2 without proper federal authorization, is currently being detained at the Adelanto detention facility. He is awaiting deportation to a country that he has no recollection of.
He worked as a busser at a sushi restaurant to support his family.
The unexpected breakup has had a profound impact on their children, especially their 7-year-old son. He required therapy to cope with the emotional turmoil he experienced when he witnessed his father being taken into custody.
“He was telling his classmates, ‘Oh, daddy got arrested for not wearing his seatbelt,'” Loreal recalled.
“Did daddy get arrested because he’s Brown?” the boy later asked. The mother struggled to find words but ultimately told him, “Yeah, he kinda did.”
According to data obtained by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune, ICE made a total of 8,276 arrests nationwide between January 22 and January 31. Interestingly, less than half of those who were detained had criminal convictions.
The Trump administration asserts that immigration enforcement is focused on apprehending dangerous criminals. However, advocates argue that individuals like Duran, who are hardworking community members with deep roots, often get caught in the crosshairs.
Loreal’s family is left wondering what the future holds for them as protests in solidarity with immigrants continue to erupt across California and legal teams scramble to provide assistance to those who have been detained.
“I haven’t had a conversation with him for nearly two days,” she expressed.
California is witnessing a wave of lives being disrupted, and the Durans’ story is just one among many. Despite the state’s efforts to distance itself from federal immigration enforcement, families like the Durans continue to face significant challenges.
A new bill seeks to restrict the involvement of local California police in aiding immigration authorities near medical offices, places of worship, and daycare centers. At the same time, Governor Gavin Newsom has set aside $50 million to offer legal assistance to immigrants facing deportation and to oppose the policies of the Trump administration.
BREAKING: Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bills authorizing $50M for immigration services and legal battles with the Trump administration.
In signing statement, Newsom tells CALeg it should pass legislation clarifying immigration $ can’t be used to protect criminals from deportation pic.twitter.com/RMOu1Un3cY
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 8, 2025
