The Bay Volunteers Help Monitor Street Corners for ICE Activity
Jan 5, 2026
In this insightful discussion, KQED labor correspondent Farida Jhabvala Romero sheds light on the courageous volunteers monitoring street corners in East Oakland to protect day laborers from ICE raids. Farida narrates the origins of the Adopt a Day Laborer Corner program and explains how volunteers are trained to watch and document activities. Jessica Carissa shares poignant field interviews, emphasizing the day laborers' ongoing economic needs despite fears of enforcement. The community's solidarity shines through as they unite to safeguard vulnerable workers.
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Volunteers Building Trust On Corners
- Farida Jhabvala Romero describes volunteers like Christy and Wendy showing up at an East Oakland corner to support day laborers.
- Both women spoke Spanish and spent mornings chatting, knitting, and monitoring the corner to build trust.
Watch, Document, And Alert A Support Network
- Adopt-a-Corner volunteers are instructed to monitor, document, and call a network number if they spot suspected immigration enforcement.
- Volunteers should film activity, alert advocates and lawyers, and gather information for post-arrest help.
Neighborhood Support Scaled Into A Rapid Program
- The National Day Laborer Organizing Network formalized longtime neighborly support into a rapid-response Adopt-a-Corner program.
- Thousands attended trainings, showing urgent community demand for direct, local action.