U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a raid at San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings in El Cajon, acting on suspicion that the company employed undocumented workers earlier this year. The operation was part of an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of harboring undocumented immigrants and employment fraud, according to ICE officials.
The raid resulted in multiple detentions and left dozens of local families in uncertainty, highlighting the growing tension surrounding immigration enforcement in San Diego County.
For many families, the raid was not just a headline — it was a life-altering event.
Gabriela Hernandez, a fourth-year human biology major at the University of California, San Diego, recalled the moment she found out that her father, who worked at the El Cajon company, had been detained.
“My mom and I found out through a family friend who called to say immigration was at my dad’s workplace,” Hernandez said. “It was the worst phone call of my life.”
Her father, Carlos Hernandez, who lived in the United States for 27 years without a criminal record, has two children who are U.S citizens and worked full-time to support his family. His sudden detention, Hernandez said, changed their lives overnight.
“It really makes you realize that no matter how law-abiding someone can be, and just the simple fact that they lack documentation, the system still remains unjust and targets people who shouldn’t be the targets of these raids at all,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said that the hardest part was not knowing what was happening or what would happen to her dad.
“We didn’t know where he was or what would happen next,” Hernandez said. “I went to bed that night thinking how my mom and I were going to survive without his income.”
She said family and friends helped with expenses, but the loss of stability weighed heavily. Hernandez, who balances work and college classes, said it has been difficult to stay focused.
“It’s hard to concentrate in class when your family is on your mind,” Hernandez said. “My dad worked so I could go to college. Now everything feels uncertain. All I want to do is wish the world would just stop for a few seconds so that I can breathe.”
For other workers, the fear from that day still lingers.
Rodolfo Paladines, a 50-year-old from Colombia who worked at San Diego Powder and Protective Coatings, said he hid in a dark storage room of a paint filter machine for nearly 10 hours as ICE agents surrounded the facility.
“I was very scared because I didn’t want to be sent back,” Paladines said in Spanish. “I heard that we were surrounded and stayed quiet until it was over. There’s no work for older people in Colombia — it’s dangerous and unsafe.”
Paladines said that of the nearly 45 employees working that day, only five avoided detention.
“I wish they would think that not all of us are bad people,” Paladines said.
Since the raid, Paladines has been unable to find a stable job, as he could not return to work for his safety.
“My life changed a lot,” he said. “I’ve been out of work since that day, and it’s been a daily battle. We want people to understand that not everyone without papers is a criminal.”
According to Jarryd Wilis, a social psychology professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, immigration enforcement events like raids have profound and lasting effects on families and communities.
“About 5.6 million U.S. citizen children have an undocumented family member, and most are under the age of 14,” Willis said, citing a 2025 Brookings Institure report. “When raids occur, the trauma is not isolated to those detained — it ripples through entire households and neighborhoods.”
Willis said that learning a family member has been detained or deported can double the risk of anxiety and triple the risk of major depression.
“From a psychological perspective, these events create chronic fear and uncertainty that can harm both mental and physical health,” Willis said.
Willis said that fear of deportation changes how people live — students miss school, families avoid medical care and many isolate from their communities.
“In some districts, student absences rose by more than 20% after raids,” Willis said. “It’s not just about immigration — it’s about survival and safety.”
He added that schools can play a key role in helping affected students.
“Teachers and universities can be safe havens by offering counseling, peer support and legal resources like DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] clinics,” Willis said.
Sharing personal stories, Willis said, can also reduce prejudice.
“When we hear real experiences — like Gabriela’s — it builds empathy,” Willis said. “It reminds people that behind every statistic is a family trying to live a normal life.”
Hernandez said she hopes students and young people reflect on how policies affect families like hers.
“A pathway to citizenship isn’t as easy as people think,” Hernandez said. “Unless you’ve lived it, you don’t know the sacrifice it takes, and how many obstacles there are in the pathway to even be eligible.”
Hernandez said she wants people to see the hearts of immigrant families.
“I want students to realize that, to my family, my dad wasn’t an illegal alien,” Hernandez said. “He was and continues to be the pillar of our household.”
