The Guardian | Ice Raids Forever Changed the work of these Violence Prevention Works
uadalupe Serrano, Program Manager for Youth ALIVE!’s Caught in the Crossfire program, featured in The Guardian in a piece by the fantastic Ricky Rodas.
Guadalupe spoke about what our team witnessed firsthand the ways that news of ICE raids affected our gun violence prevention work.
“We definitely saw a decrease in people going into the hospitals to treat their injuries or do follow-ups. We had clients who had to do surgeries to treat their wounds to avoid infections and stop treatment, which affected them later down the road. They’re doing a longer recovery with physical therapy and therapy sessions. When it came to enrolling new patients, they were very hesitant; the trust wasn’t there.”
For nearly three decades, Caught in the Crossfire has met young people in the hospital after a violent injury and stayed alongside them through recovery. That work depends on trust, consistent care, and making sure people can access the services they need long after they leave the hospital.
Thank you, Guadalupe, for bringing the experiences of our clients and frontline staff into this important conversation, and thank you to Ricky for continuing to tell stories about Oakland with care and depth