On a recent Wednesday at about noon, Aldo’s Mexican Restaurant in Delano was empty. There wasn’t any chatter or the sounds of sizzling carne asada on the stove, just the song Mejor Recuerda by Julión Álvarez playing in the background. “During the lunch hour, we used to always be busy, running back and forth, back and forth,” said waitress Araceli Mendez in Spanish. “That’s why you now can see the difference. It’s been empty for almost a month.” Mendez said she and her coworkers think it’s because of the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests. Even the sheriff’s cars going up and down the street make people uneasy, she said. On Aug. 5, the Delano City Council may take a stand against local ICE activity. The council will vote on whether to make Delano a sanctuary city. This means it would limit its involvement with ICE and adopt policies to protect undocumented immigrants. Currently, Livingston is the only sanctuary city in the San Joaquin Valley. Delano
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