The atmosphere in East Los Angeles shifted dramatically on June 6 when ICE raids began, instilling fear among many residents, including local taco truck owner Anastasio Sanchez.
Operating his taco truck business, ‘Tacos El Tacho,’ for the past five years, the 51-year-old felt compelled to take a break from work due to his apprehension about deportation.
A month later, the need to support his family prompted him to return to work, but tragedy struck when he was detained by federal agents on July 6.
While preparing for the day at the intersection of Whittier and Atlantic boulevards around 8:40 a.m., Sanchez noticed individuals he believed to be federal agents nearby.
In a state of panic, he attempted to escape the situation, prompting a swift detention by the agents.
According to his daughter Alondra Sanchez, her father has lived in the U.S. for over 20 years and held a work permit, making the incident particularly unsettling for the family, who have deep roots in East L.A.
“It all happened so fast, and there weren’t really that many people in the area, so nobody really stood up for him,” a fellow vendor on the block recounted, expressing the shared fear many local vendors are currently facing.
With the ongoing risk of deportation looming large, this vendor added, “Vendors like me — we’re all really scared to even work right now, but we have no choice. We still have to pay rent, our expenses don’t stop.”
The specific charges against Anastasio remain unclear, as Boyle Heights Beat has reached out for comments from the Department of Homeland Security regarding the incident but has not yet received a response.
In the aftermath of his detention, Alondra and her four siblings, along with their mother, rushed to unravel what had happened and to locate their father.
Utilizing the ‘Find My’ feature on his iPhone, they traced him to the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A.
Visiting her father on Monday, Alondra delivered essential medication for his diabetes, while the emotional toll of seeing him separated by glass became unbearable for both.
“It was very devastating. As soon as he saw me, he started crying, and then I started crying,” Alondra recounted, sharing her distress and asking about her father’s well-being, to which he expressed that conditions were brutally cold at the facility.
Despite coming prepared with medication, Alondra found herself limited in what she could bring for her father.
Fortunately, another family visiting loved ones at the center offered Anastasio a sweater after overhearing their disheartening exchange.
By Wednesday, Anastasio was transferred to the Adelanto Detention Facility in San Bernardino County, deepening the family’s anxiety over their circumstances.
“The whole experience has impacted every member of the family,” Alondra explained, highlighting the confusion her nine-year-old sister feels about their father’s absence.
“My mom’s very much in shock,” Alondra continued, acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining family stability while fearing for her father’s future.
Thanks to community support through GoFundMe, Alondra’s family has secured legal representation for Anastasio as they prepare to fight against his potential deportation.
“We’re hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst as well,” she elaborated, underlining the gravity of their situation.
Alondra described her father as a hardworking individual well-known and loved by locals in their community.
“It’s just very hard to believe these things that are happening, that someone was just taken like that, especially the head of a household. It’s just heartbreaking,” she concluded.
This ongoing situation sheds light on the intense fear and uncertainty experienced by families in similar predicaments amid heightened enforcement actions.
As the family strives to navigate this turbulent chapter, they remain hopeful for a resolution that will bring Anastasio home.
image source from：boyleheightsbeat
