After ICE raid, families celebrating Christmas but still searching for family members

Holding a small rectangular box wrapped in white Christmas paper, 6-year-old Esperanza Zarate of Greeley stood debating what it could be.

"I was a good girl this year," she said, smiling. "I asked Santa Clause for a pony for Christmas. A big one."

She was among nearly 1,500 families who attended the ninth annual Migrant Christmas Fiesta at Northridge High School on Saturday.

Her father, Candido Zarate was taken in the raid Dec. 12 at Swift & Co. meat packing plant in Greeley. Her mother, Sara Zarate, said she's been trying to keep her five children busy but still they are beginning to ask where their dad is.

"I know my 8 year-old is trying to be strong," Zarate said. "I don't think it's hit them yet. They just keep seeing me cry."

She said they have been staying with family because being at home has too many memories. Her husband called her from a detention center in El Paso, Texas and that she is working on getting him home.

"It's just overwhelming." Zarate said.

During the event, she was able to get gifts for all her children and have them take pictures with Santa Clause.

Organizers, however, were slightly discouraged by the turnout, which they say was affected by the raid. They planned on more families attending and by the end of the event were left with several extra gifts.

"We've heard that some people were scared to come," said Adolph Diaz, one of the event organizers. "Some folks were asking if it was safe."

He said they plan on sending some of the recruiters to do home visits and deliver the extra gifts.

The Alvin Garcia annual Christmas Party at Our Lady of Peace Church also saw fewer families this year. Tess Ray, an organizer at the event, said last year the event had nearly 100 more families. This year, she estimates 150 attended. The event was scheduled for two hours Dec. 16 but organizers were already cleaning and folding up chairs more than 45 minutes before it was scheduled to end.

"Either the families were scared to come or they just had too much other stuff to deal with right now and were not thinking about Christmas parties," Ray said. "We had half the kids we normally do and I think the raid might of had something to do with it."