Family of man detained at El Corredor Salvadoreño asks for help

Family members of Julio Vargas, a 66-year-old Guatemalan who was detained by the U.S. Border Patrol this past Sunday during the immigration raid at El Corredor Salvadoreño in Los Angeles, said they worry about his health. 

His partner, who didn’t want to publish her name due to fear of immigration authorities, said he called her on Monday from the Adelanto Detention Center, saying he was scared. 

“He said he’s having problems breathing because it is very cold in there,” said his partner in Spanish. 

According to family members, Vargas has health issues that worsen with cold temperatures. Now that he is in the detention center, he is getting constant cramps and he doesn’t have his medicine. 

“We don’t know how to take them to him,” said his partner, a 63-year-old Salvadorian. “For me, it is also very difficult because he helped me a lot. He would take me to buy goods for sale and he’s not here anymore.”

The day of the raid

Vargas’ partner said on Sunday morning, they were selling coconuts and dark, plump pata de mula clams. She walked around the block to get some bags from her truck when chaos erupted. She said it was “God’s grace” that saved her from being detained with Vargas.  

“I didn’t see where they [federal agents] came from, but when I noticed what was going on, I immediately hid behind a stand,” she said. “I saw one of the agents getting closer, but he never saw us. As soon as he left, me and one of my employees got in the truck and left.”

She said she was very scared because her daughter was there too, but in the midst of chaos, she just thought of escaping. 

She returned 20 minutes later and the immigration officers were gone. 

“All I found was the coconut [Vargas] was cutting and the food of his client, who was also detained,” the woman said. “It was very sad.”

She said, fortunately, her daughter wasn’t arrested.

Help from the Councilwoman of the area

Naomi Roochnik, Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez’s spokesperson, said as soon as they learned about the raid on Sunday, they immediately deployed their CD1 peace ambassadors to speak with vendors, share information and gather requests for support.

They also kept in contact with the non-profit SALEF, a close partner, and sent a mass-text alert to nearby residents and businesses so they could take precautions and access resources.

“Our office has invested half a million dollars in free food distribution programs that serve thousands of immigrant families, committed $200,000 in rental assistance, and fought to restore – and successfully secured – $1 million for RepresentLA, the city and county’s immigrant legal defense program,” said Roochnik via email. 

CD1 posted a list of food distribution locations throughout the district and they also partnered with mutual aid groups to deliver groceries directly to neighbors who fear leaving their homes.

“For rental aid, our tenant deputy conducts proactive outreach — canvassing door-to-door and hosting know your rights workshops — but we encourage anyone in need of rental assistance or food support to contact our office directly,” Roochnick said. 

On Tuesday, Councilmember Hernandez finally made a public statement on social media about what happened on Sunday and added that immigration authorities arrived at Cypress Park to detain a parent who had their child inside the vehicle. 

“Our office immediately deployed staff to the scene, issued mass text alerts and worked with our immigrant rights partners to connect residents with emergency resources,” Hernandez said in her post.

What’s next

Meanwhile, Vargas' family said they are hoping to get help from the community. They said they tried to reach organizations such as CHIRLA, but were told they offer services only once a week and there is a long waiting list.

“We found an attorney, but she’s charging us $10,000 to represent [Vargas],” she said. “We don’t have that amount of money and are afraid he may be deported because he doesn’t have legal representation.” 

Despite the fear, all the vendors are still showing up to sell their goods because they said they have to pay bills and rent and can’t afford to stay home. 

Vargas’ partner said she’s unaware of any resources provided by Councilmember Hernandez and no one from her office has approached them. However, she said they hope the assistance announced by CD1 is true and that will receive the much-needed help because sales went down after the raid.