When President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office on Monday, the U.S. Border Patrol is poised to play a central role in his promised immigration crackdown. On Thursday, Californians got a preview of the tensions likely to play out as undocumented migrants get rounded up in places that rely on their labor. On one side, a Border Patrol chief posted a video on social media showcasing sweeps last week in California’s Central Valley. Named Operation Return to Sender, the effort involved dozens of arrests. “They think I’m hiding in the shadows, but I am the shadows,” a voice whispered during the video, echoing a popular Batman movie. On the other side, United Farm Workers officials held a news briefing, describing the fears the operation had caused in immigrant communities. They suggested the arrests signaled that “rogue” law enforcement agents, inspired by Mr. Trump’s plans, could take matters into their own hands. “This is part of a new political climate of people in some of these agencies feeling emboldened,” said Antonio De Loera-Brust, a spokesman for the organization, a labor union.
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