Public Hearing Exposes Harrowing ICE Abuses in Pomona

On May 2, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval convened a tense public hearing where nearly a dozen residents bravely recounted recent encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The event, organized by the Inland Communities Organizing Network and supported by local advocacy groups, drew about 100 attendees eager to document abuses that have left families fractured and the community reeling.

Fear and confusion permeated the room as witnesses described ICE’s heavy-handed tactics. Maria shared how ICE chased her husband and 10-year-old son near the Pomona/Ontario border, leaving the family terrified to leave their home. Guadalupe revealed that her husband’s January arrest by ICE has left her and five children facing eviction and financial ruin. Olivia’s 70-year-old husband remains detained without access to vital heart medication despite repeated pleas.

The trauma extends beyond families. A Pomona Unified School District teacher testified that many students are skipping school out of fear, contributing to a sharp decline in enrollment and a crisis of “disappearing families.” Carlos Escobar, detained for months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center, described his ordeal as a test of faith amid crushing isolation. Another man detailed being held in “hellish” conditions at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility after an ICE pickup at a local Home Depot.

Organizer Jessica Fallon emphasized the importance of public testimony to ensure these abuses are recorded “for posterity and future accountability.” The collected accounts have been forwarded to U.S. Congressman Robert Garcia, who is investigating allegations of unconstitutional detention and ICE overreach.

Mayor Sandoval underscored the necessity of these hearings to hold federal authorities accountable for “unconstitutional acts against our community.” Councilmember Nora Garcia highlighted the long-term generational harm and immediate economic fallout, warning that ICE’s actions will exacerbate hunger, homelessness, and financial instability in Pomona.

In response, the Pomona City Council recently passed a resolution restricting ICE from city-owned properties to curb enforcement actions. Additional measures to limit ICE’s use of local warehouses for detention are underway.

This hearing lays bare a disturbing pattern of ICE abuses in Pomona, reinforcing the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and community protections against federal overreach. The scars left by these raids will echo through generations unless decisive action is taken.