Simi town hall raises specter of immigration enforcement

It was a heavy but important evening at the Simi Valley United Church of Christ last week, where about 60 neighbors gathered for a town hall that cut straight to the heart of our community. According to the *Simi Valley Acorn*, the meeting—hosted by the Simi Valley Immigrant Coalition—was filled with real fear, frustration, and a powerful call to action around immigration enforcement and how it’s impacting local families. These weren’t abstract debates; these were students worrying about their parents, business owners wondering about their workforce, and all of us grappling with what it means to feel safe in our own hometown.

What struck me most about this story is that it wasn’t a protest—it was a conversation. In a city like Simi, where we pride ourselves on being a close-knit community, events like this remind us that our neighbors’ struggles are our own. Whether you agree on policy or not, the courage to show up and share those stories matters. The *Acorn*’s coverage shows that Simi Valley is still a place where people will fill a church hall to look out for one another—and that’s a story worth holding onto.