Valadao urges focus on criminals, not farmworkers after immigration raids

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Congressmember David Valadao says rumors sparked by the recent raids taking place in the Central Valley have scared farmworkers – and he wants to make sure the undocumented population stays calm.

Rep. Valadao’s comments come after several raids were reportedly taking place across the Central Valley last week, causing fear among the immigrant community. In an interview with YourCentralValley.com, Rep. Valadao confirmed he has received several calls from constituents, afraid of what could happen to their families.

“The problem is getting the actual facts and knowing who these people are and knowing their background,” said Rep. Valdao. “If this was a farmworker on the way to the fields that they picked up outside a mini-mart, do we know if that person had also a criminal record associated with a cartel?”

Valadao says the calls his office received stemmed from rumors of federal agents detaining people who were on their way to work, not the intended Border Patrol target – rumors he says may not be accurate and could drive away those who do a lot for the local economy.

“Go after the people that we all want to see leave, but be a little more sympathetic to those that are actually playing a very important role,” said Valadao.

Valadao added that he hopes to work with the upcoming Trump administration on “common sense immigration reform” that would benefit the immigrant community.

“Make sure you are handling this appropriately: go after the people we all want to see leave, but be sympathetic to those who play an important role in our economy.”