YA Contemporary / Thriller
ICE
The Battle for Arroyo Creek
When the government turns its sights on Arroyo Creek, 17-year-old Naomi Yamada doesn't just watch. She organizes.
When the government turns its sights on Arroyo Creek, 17-year-old Naomi Yamada doesn't just watch. She organizes.
After a right-wing President is sworn in, ICE intensifies arrests in the Southern California agricultural town of Arroyo Creek. Seventeen-year-old Naomi Yamada—granddaughter of a Japanese-American internment survivor—organizes teens into United for Justice / Unidos por la Justicia (UFJ/UPJ). They start with “Know Your Rights” outreach. Then raids escalate, detentions surge, and quota pressure turns the town into a battleground—until one massive street protest changes everything.
The heart of the community: The agricultural workers of the valley.
The escalation: When the National Guard meets youth-led resistance.
Formation: From "Know Your Rights" flyers to chaotic sanctuary attempts as raids begin.
Infrastructure: The Packing House becomes HQ. ICE begins targeting the teens directly.
Crisis: The President calls out Naomi by name. The National Guard is deployed.
Climax: Mass protests, chemical weapons, and the high cost of standing your ground.