Infant left momentarily parentless after immigration raid near a WIC store in Oxnard

Angel Tamayo, co-owner of Inside Healthy Baby Nutrition, a WIC-authorized vendor in the heart of Oxnard, was left searching for answers after federal immigration officers unexpectedly entered his store. As customers selected essential items for their families, confusion ensued.

"Everyone thought it was the police," Tamayo remarked, noting the "Police" emblazoned on the vests worn by the agents. 

Oxnard's Chief of Police, Jason Benites, clarified that although Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were present, no members of the Oxnard police department were involved.

The Department of Homeland Security has authorized law enforcement agents "the functions of an immigration officer." Several Justice Department law enforcement agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service can detain undocumented immigrants.

The Immigrant Defense Project underscores a disturbing trend: ICE agents often impersonate local law enforcement by donning plain clothes or vests marked "Police" while concealing their ICE identification. This tactic was evident when agents led a woman and her child to a parking lot behind a WIC store, where her husband and their infant awaited her return from shopping.

A troubling scene unfolded, captured by surveillance footage—a child left momentarily parentless as ICE detained the father. The footage revealed that federal agents seemed to lack the necessary supplies to care for the child had the mother not been located.

A witness, requesting anonymity, expressed that the mother was not detained due to her accompanying children. The statement aligns with the current ICE policy put in place under the Biden administration, which generally exempts individuals who are pregnant, postpartum or nursing from ICE detention.

However, this policy stands in stark contrast to practices under the last Trump administration, which saw a 52% increase in the detention of pregnant women. Whether this policy will persist remains uncertain.

In response to the raid, Tamayo has taken proactive steps, distributing "Know Your Rights" cards developed by immigrant advocates. He also intends to help implement a curbside pickup system to prevent such incidents from happening again.

"It's definitely been slower since the ICE was here. It is not nice to be in fear when you are trying to get some eggs and look for formula for your baby," Tamayo said, noting that WIC in California is not set up for online purchases for home delivery.

Under the Biden administration, efforts were made to modernize the WIC system. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service projected that by 2028, up to 180,000 California WIC participants would be shopping online.

Tamayo's family has owned the Healthy Baby Nutrition business for about twenty years. He, his family and other employees travel from Los Angeles to Oxnard to run the WIC nutrition store.

"We get some items from Los Angeles, but a lot of the berries we get are from here in Oxnard, and many of our clients are farm workers," Tamayo shared.

Uncertain of his rights as a business owner regarding ICE entries, Tamayo said he is determined to better understand the legal landscape to safeguard his patrons and business should ICE agents attempt to enter his store again.