Orange County continues to see protests against the recent wave of federal immigration crackdowns as undocumented residents, their extended families and friends all grapple with fears of deportation.
In Santa Ana, the heart of OC, throngs of people continue to rally against the federal immigration sweeps after reports surfaced of Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents, along with Department of Homeland Security officials, targeting people at Home Depots, car washes and other public places.
For the last several days, protests have continued to build, with people increasingly showing up after work hours in Santa Ana.
In nearby Orange, a smaller group of young people – about 50 – spent most of Wednesday afternoon rallying with flags and signs around the historic downtown circle.
While National Guard troops stationed just outside the Ronald Reagan federal court building on Santa Ana’s Fourth Street were largely alone during most the day on Wednesday, with merchants bringing them refreshments and local residents offering words of support, the atmosphere changed by later in the day.
By 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, several hundred people rallied in front of the federal courthouse in Santa Ana, calling for federal officials to stop targeting working immigrants and end the recent wave of immigration raids.
Organizers – who are becoming more vocal, younger and better organized – repeatedly encouraged protestors to stay peaceful as troops with the California National Guard calmly looked on.
Near them, a cordon of Santa Ana police with batons looked onto the crowd, a sight that triggered angry outbursts from many residents gathered to protest.
[Read: Are Orange County’s Streets About to Get Militarized?]
The demonstration continued growing and protestors eventually marched through downtown streets, including Main Street, after Santa Ana police officers increased their presence in the area.
In a Thursday phone interview, Santa Ana City Councilman Johnathan Hernandez – who’s been at the protests since Monday – said organizers and residents are doing an increasingly good job of making sure demonstrators are staying peaceful.
“I have seen the protests remain peaceful because residents are confronting each other for being their best selves,” Hernandez said of the protests this week. “I saw young and old and everything in between working shoulder to shoulder to keep people safe. Whether it was on Bristol, whether it was Downtown, whether it was off Civic Center.”
On Tuesday, a host of local elected officials – including Hernandez – demanded President Donald Trump withdraw the National Guard from Santa Ana, saying the increased military presence is raising tensions.
[Read: Calls Grow for Military to Stop ‘Occupying’ Orange County]
Hernandez said Santa Ana police department’s response has been increasing tensions in the community, noting the military-style gear that’s been used this week.
“This is how you escalate violence in your community. Tear gas is not used to create peace – it’s used to create chaos. It’s used to initiate violence,” he said.
“This is the city’s opportunity for us to also revisit the conversation of the militarized police department – is this safety? Is this how our city wants to be policed?,” Hernandez said. “The time is here.”
After days of protests in the streets, there’s increasing focus from residents and community groups on the upcoming Santa Ana City Council meeting, which takes place Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Herndez said he’s going to push for a public update at that meeting on how many Santa Ana residents were caught up in the ICE sweeps, along with a public policy debate over how the police department handles protests.
Growing Fear in the Immigrant Community
Local community leaders have told Voice of OC that many undocumented residents have been staying home from work and having citizen relatives do grocery shopping and other essential chores.
[Read: Orange County Braces For ICE]
In a Wednesday phone interview, Santa Ana Councilwoman Jessie Lopez said she’s largely been hearing the same concerns from residents.
“I’m hearing directly from my constituents about how they’re worried, about how they’re going to pay for rent – how are they going to sustain themselves,” Lopez said, adding other residents “are asking me now if the city has a fund to support our constituents who are still responsible for making the rent at the end of the month.”
“People are asking me where they can find any kind of support,” she said.
Community groups like Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development are building a support infrastructure of sorts with other groups to help residents impacted by the recent ICE raids.
“I’m in talks with other partnering organizations to figure out what kind of mutual aid we can provide,” OCCORD’s Executive Director Marisol Ramirez said in a Monday interview. “We’re trying to learn as much as we can and work alongside the Orange County Rapid Response Network – really just to unite forces. You cannot stay silent.”
Sandra De Anda, network coordinator for the Orange County Rapid Response Network, said they’ve seen federal officials conduct immigration sweeps in places that used to be generally considered safe.
“We’ve seen ICE agents detain people at 34 Civic Center Plaza (immigration check-in offices),” De Anda said at a Tuesday news conference at the Old Orange County Courthouse.
“Homeland Security Investigation agents have targeted unaccompanied minors at their homes and schools and just this week Customs and Border Patrol detained workers outside of Home Depots, at local car washes and at a bus stop,” De Anda said.
“That’s not enforcement – that’s abduction.”
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have not answered repeated questions about how they’re conducting immigration enforcement and whether or not federal agents are obtaining warrants before arresting people at places like immigration court or Home Depot.
There’s also been fear that federal agents have been targeting bus stops throughout Orange County after a recent memo from officials at the Orange County Transportation Agency surfaced, telling bus drivers that they have to comply with state and federal law enforcement officers if they get pulled over.
OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik confirmed that June 10 memo to bus drivers and said it stemmed from general questions the drivers had.
“It was not in response to any immigration enforcement actions, it was sent to and developed to address general questions that we were receiving from our coach operators,” Zlotnik said in a Thursday phone interview
Fear Fuels Protests
Meanwhile, there’s protests throughout the country scheduled for Saturday – nationwide demonstrations collectively known as the “No Kings” protest to coincide with the parade scheduled in Washington, D.C. by President Donad Trump.
Orange County’s ”No Kings” protest is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Anaheim’s La Palma Park – where demonstrators are expected to rail against the recent immigration raids.
It’s unclear what happens next in Santa Ana.
Where’s the Santa Ana Mayor?
There’s been increasing attention on Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua’s leadership from residents and local elected officials – some of whom, like Lopez, she accused of “condoning” destruction in a Facebook post after protests began on Monday.
“I was proud to stand alongside my constituents – peacefully exercising our First Amendment right,” Lopez said in a Wednesday afternoon phone interview.
Lopez said Amezcua “obviously does not believe she needs to stand by her constituents,” adding that in “moments like this, our community deserves steady leadership rooted not in just the truth, but passion and empathy – not political showmanship.”
While Amezcua didn’t name Lopez in her Facebook post, she was one of the handful of Santa Ana City Council members who were at the initial protests on Monday – along with Councilmen Johnathan Hernandez and Ben Vazquez.
The mayor also accused an unnamed OC Supervisor of “condoning” destruction.
Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento was the only supervisor to attend the protests on Monday.
“I am disappointed by the mayor’s recent remarks. My mission—and what I have consistently repeated to the public—is to speak loudly and peacefully in support of our immigrant communities. At a time when our neighbors and our constitutional rights are under direct threat, I cannot afford to be distracted by divisive or misguided comments,” Sarmiento said in a Wednesday email.
“This is not a moment for political posturing—it is a moment for leadership. Sadly, the issues we are facing are not going away, and I welcome anyone, including the mayor, to stand with us in defense of our shared values and our fundamental right to free speech,” said Sarmiento, himself a former Santa Ana mayor.
Amezcua didn’t respond to questions about her Facebook statement or the pushback she received from local elected officials.
To date, she hasn’t held any kind of news conference to address the protests or city relief efforts for affected residents, much less take any questions on city responses to protests or her thoughts on the ICE sweeps that are deeply impacting Santa Ana residents.
Amezcua did release a roughly three-minute video message Wednesday evening – two days after protests kicked off – addressing some of the community concerns.
“I want to be unequivocally clear as to where I stand as your mayor,” Amezcua said. “I do not support the ongoing immigration raids or the militarized escalation by the federal government in our streets. Protesting is not a crime, it is your fundamental right under the First Amendment.”
“The vast majority of those involved in the demonstrations, they have participated peacefully and without incident,” she said.
Hernandez, who’s been a frequent political target of Amezcua over the years, said the mayor’s response show’s she isn’t connected to the community.
“What we are seeing from the mayor’s response is a complete disconnect from our Santa Ana community,” he said. “What we’re seeing is a pattern in the mistreatment of the public.”
“Your mayor is not serving you.”