Safe waters are impossible without safe communities. We strongly condemn the federal administration’s use of force, fearmongering, and secrecy in the ongoing immigration raids across Southern California. Orange County Coastkeeper firmly believes that all people, regardless of immigration status, race, or background, have the right to safely live in and enjoy their watershed.
We are deeply concerned for our community members who rely on our waters for their livelihood, including local fishing communities now forced to choose between staying safe and doing their jobs. These raids are not just attacks on people but on public access to the natural environment and the peace of our entire community.
We believe in holding those in power accountable, even when the odds feel insurmountable. Coastkeeper has always relied on our members to be watchdogs against pollution and environmental injustice. Today, we ask you to extend that same vigilance to protecting one another.
If you witness suspected ICE activity in our watersheds or along the coast, please call the Orange County Rapid Response Network at 714-881-1558. This is no time for division; due process and human rights must come before political differences.
Be alert. Stay safe. Stand together.
