www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 7-13, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 23 The renewal would allow immigrants who have lived in the United States for seven years to apply for a green card and the law would have a rolling date, meaning it would update itself without needing new legislation. Lofgren says the bill would benefit residents of various immigration statuses and it would prevent the U.S. from shrinking its workforce in key industries like healthcare and agriculture. While all of this legislation is pending in a partisan Congress, people in Monterey County continue living and working. Nearly 30 percent of the population is foreign-born. The new normal for many of them is carrying around their documents, especially if they fit ICE’s perceived target: brown people. While there aren’t many cases of people detained randomly in Monterey County—the Solidarity Network reports at least two people have been detained randomly, rather than in targeted ICE actions—some people are taking preventive measures in case they cross paths with ICE agents. “Since this is racially motivated, I’m carrying my passport with me,” Natalie Portillo says in Spanish. Portillo’s husband, Juan Carlos “JC” Portillo, long worked as a manager at Wild Fish restaurant in Pacific Grove. He was detained by ICE during a regular immigration check-in in June. (According to an update on July 11 on a GoFundMe page to aid his family, Portillo Contreras was deported to El Salvador and is staying with extended family.) Carmen, 35, is a DACA recipient and mother of five who has lived in California for 23 years. She works with undocumented farmworkers across Monterey County. Carmen, who is Mixteco, says she feels a little more protected because she has a work permit, but she worries her brown skin increases her chances of being detained. “I always try to bring my ID and if I forget it, I’ll go back for it,” she says. She now brings her driver’s license, work permit and Social Security card everywhere. Elena is a naturalized citizen who lives in Seaside and works in education. Her family has mixed immigration status. Her husband, Mateo, is undocumented and their three kids, all under 10, are U.S. citizens. She says she never thought the path to fix her husband’s status would be so lengthy. They started the process to regularize his immigration status as soon as they got married 10 years ago; after talking to different lawyers, the only option they have right now is for him to wait 10 years in Mexico before continuing with the process (Mateo has a clean record and has crossed the border illegally twice.) “‘I didn’t get married to be a single mom,’ is what I always say. And we don’t think going back is the safest thing for our family,” she says. “We’re just kind of in limbo, hoping the law changes at some point for him to be able to avoid that step. “My husband didn’t do it the right way, but I think the circumstances make people make decisions sometimes that aren’t necessarily thought out,” she says, noting her husband was just 17 when he crossed the border, on foot, through the desert. “I don’t think he ever really thought he would be living here permanently.” They have kept their kids in the dark about his immigration status. “My kids are not of age to really understand the situation, so they don’t know that he’s not here legally. That adds another layer to the complexity of the topic,” she says. While the couple has discussed potential options in case ICE detains him, they currently don’t have a plan in place. If he is deported, Elena says her life would be more challenging, but “I have a support system here. I have my family,” she says. While many aspects of their daily routine remain the same, they are staying away from crowded places, including community events, street markets and avoiding visiting cities, like Salinas, that are predominantly Latino. “I look as Mexican as it comes. I have an accent. I speak mostly Spanish everywhere I go. I would be a target for being picked up on the street,” she says. “Whether this administration wants to admit it or not, we are a target.” “WE GO WITH FEAR TO WORK.” The Peninsula’s Downtown Shops, restaurants, hotels and businesses Spend some time with us Downtown… oldmonterey.org 11:30am-close, 10am Sat & Sun 484 Washington Street Downtown Monterey 831.643.9525 www.melvilletav.com WOOD FIRED PIZZAS, BURGERS, PASTA, SAlADS & SANDWICHES INDOOR, PATIO DINING & TAKEOUT HAPPY HOUR FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS SUN-tHUR 4-6PM wEEKEND BRUNCH Family-Owned. Locally Loved. 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