Half Moon Bay to MN: Why the road to recovery from ICE surge will be long

• By Mark Sayre

The Brief

A Bay Area nonprofit, ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar), traveled to Minnesota to provide crisis support and resources to immigrant communities amid a surge in federal immigration enforcement.

Group members said their experience responding to tragedies such as the 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting prepared them to help Minneapolis residents, where they visited a memorial for a U.S. citizen killed by ICE and witnessed strong community solidarity.

ALAS plans to continue partnering with Minnesota schools and community organizations to address the psychological impact on children and families, alongside several other Northern California groups.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. - A local advocacy group has returned to the Bay Area after traveling to Minnesota to provide crisis support and resources to immigrant communities facing a surge in federal immigration enforcement.

Members of ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar), a nonprofit serving farmworkers and immigrant families on the San Mateo County coast, said their experience with local tragedies prepared them to assist those in Minneapolis.

Drawing from local tragedy

What they're saying

"That has long-term consequences that they are going to suffer from," said Dr. David Martinez of ALAS. "We know that happens because it has also happened in the Half Moon Bay community in different capacities — natural disasters, mass shootings."

Martinez referred to the 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting that left seven people dead and the aftermath.

During the trip to Minnesota, the group visited a memorial for Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen killed by ICE.

Impact on youth

Dig deeper

"People were there still commemorating him and coming together also in solidarity," Martinez said. "It was impactful to see the community coming together in zero-degree weather."

For team member Laurianna Ceja Diaz, the most impactful observations occurred within Minnesota schools. She shared her concerns over the long-term psychological toll the enforcement surge has taken on children.

"To see these little kids — we are talking second graders, third graders, kindergartners — sitting in a classroom just staring into the abyss," Ceja Diaz said. "You just have to stop and wonder what they have seen, what they have heard. How all of this immigration policy in Minnesota is affecting their own personal homes."

A continuing partnership

What's next

ALAS said their mission is not over. The group plans to maintain contact with Minnesota schools and community groups to provide ongoing expertise and resource connections.

Several other Northern California organizations were also involved in the trip, including Bay Area Border Relief, the Latino Community Foundation, and faculty from the University of San Francisco.

The Source

This story was written based on information from representatives with Ayudando Latinos A Soñar and previous reporting.