Valley organizations offering help for families ahead of planned ICE raids this weekend

President Donald Trump plans to start nationwide deportations this weekend. He claims the major operation will remove thousands of dangerous people who are in the country illegally.

“They came in illegally, we’re taking them out legally,” Trump said.

There is anxiety and uncertainty being felt around the country as word spreads that ICE officials will likely be targeting at least 10 major cities. But many of those places are sanctuary cities with people working to spread the word on how migrants can avoid arrest.

“The ICE raids that we are expecting on Sunday are going to separate and traumatize families,” said Rigo Reyes, executive director of the Los Angeles County Office of Immigration Affairs.

It’s not just criminals officials will be targeting, the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying “All of those in violation with the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention, and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.”

Immigrant families across the country, including here in the Coachella Valley, spoke about their fears of possibly being separated.

“I am resisting deportation because all of my children are US citizens as well as my husband. They have a right to be with their mother,” one woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“If you don’t have a reason to go out of your house, it’s better to stay inside,” one local woman said.

The TODEC Legal Center, a non-profit, is hosting workshops and has been going door-to-door for weeks trying to educate local immigrant families about their rights and what to do if ICE officials come knocking on their door.

“We’ll talk to you. We’ll give you all the information that you need,” said Remigio Ruiz Jr., a caseworker at TODEC.

Ruiz wants people to remember they have a constitutional right to remain silent and to defer questions to an attorney.

California Governor Gavin Newsom added to that saying, “When we talk about knowing your rights, ‘No abras la puerta’ and without a warrant you don’t have to open the door.”

If an ICE officer does not have a warrant issued by a judge, they cannot enter someone’s property.

Officials of the Galilee Center in Mecca told News Channel 3 that their doors will be open to anyone in need of food, clothing or shelter. The Galilee Center is located at 66101 Hammond Road, call (760) 396-9100 for more info.