As catastrophic wildfires in California kill at least 42 people and leave thousands of homes and businesses in ruins, many of the area’s 20,000 undocumented immigrants have had no sanctuary from the flames, with some sleeping on beaches in order to avoid federal agents at shelters. This comes as far-right media outlets like Breitbart are falsely reporting that an undocumented immigrant was arrested in connection to the fires. Police said there is no indication the man had anything to do with the wildfires. We speak with Alegría De La Cruz, deputy county lawyer of Sonoma County, and Juan Hernandez, executive director of the La Luz Center in Sonoma, California.
TRANSCRIPT
AMY GOODMAN: We’re broadcasting from the Community Media Center of Marin in San Rafael, California. Today is Community Media Day, which celebrates community media centers like this one around the country.
Here in California, catastrophic wildfires have killed at least 42 people and left thousands of homes and businesses in ruins. The fires are still burning across multiple counties near where we are broadcasting from. We’re in Marin, close to Sonoma County, which some say has taken the brunt of the destruction, and is home to about 20,000 undocumented immigrants, who have had little sanctuary from the fires. Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, announced it would suspend non-criminal enforcement at shelters and evacuation centers here. But fear of deportation led some undocumented residents to set up camps on the beach or sleep in their cars, churches or other pop-up shelters in order to avoid federal agents. Some evacuees also face challenges returning to their homes because of police checkpoints.
Cal Fire is investigating the cause of the fires. Residents in Santa Rosa have sued the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, claiming the company’s failure to maintain its power lines sparked the blazes. The night the fires began, there were multiple reports of downed power lines and…