Hundreds of residents gathered on the steps of Santa Ana City Hall Tuesday to protest the city’s handling of ICE raids in town and the resulting protests.
Longtime activists and residents like Joese Hernandez criticized Mayor Valerie Amezcua’s leadership and response to the immigration sweeps.
“I’m really disappointed with the leadership of the city. Our mayor has chosen to criminalize our actions,” Hernandez said about her response to the recent protests.
In a Tuesday interview before the city hall protest, Hernandez lambasted Amezcua’s slow public response to the immigration sweeps.
“She is the mayor of a sanctuary city, she should have been the first to come out and say this isn’t okay,” Hernandez said.
One of the top concerns expressed by demonstrators is how city police officers have been responding to the protests – especially when rubber bullets and pepper balls are fired into the crowds.
[Read: Santa Ana’s Response to ICE Protests Prompt Questions for Police & Mayor]
On Tuesday, the Santa Ana Police Department issued a news release responding to concerns the department is hearing.
“First and foremost, any police response to incidents, including those referenced in recent reports, has been carried out in strict accordance with the law,” read an unsigned statement put out by the department. “Our officers are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of all individuals within the community, and our actions are always motivated by the need to uphold constitutional rights and safeguard both people and property.”
Thousands of residents have protested in Downtown Santa Ana – the heart of Orange County – since last Monday.
Police officials noted 24 people were arrested over the course of six days for alleged instances of shooting fireworks and throwing objects at officers, reckless driving, property damage and failing “ to comply with the lawful orders given by law enforcement.”
But the American Civil Liberties Union alleges police officers have broken the law by firing rubber bullets and other projectiles into the crowds.
“SAPD’s reported use of kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents, including, but not limited to, rubber bullets, pepper balls, and tear gas, clearly violates the law. As protests continue into this weekend and next week, we urge SAPD to immediately cease their unlawful use of kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents and to instead allow residents to exercise their First Amendment rights without illegal law enforcement obstruction or abuse,” reads a Friday letter from ACLU attorney Jacob Reisberg.
At the beginning of the meeting on Tuesday, police officers detained a woman in the council chambers for unclear reasons, but she apparently was trying to find a seat – pointing to some empty chairs.
Residents started chanting, “shame!’ and “let her go, let her go!”
When asked if she was detained or arrested, city spokesman Paul Eakins said “I can’t answer that right now” at 6:30 p.m.
Outside of city hall on Tuesday, throngs of residents also expressed frustration with the city’s response to the federal immigration sweeps, with numerous people saying the city hasn’t done enough to address concerns people could get picked up off the street by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
[Read: Immigration Sweeps Hit a Santa Ana Neighborhood on Father’s Day]
Scores of police officers were on standby around the steps of city hall, with Santa Ana police blocking off Santa Ana boulevard – effectively leaving one driveway to get into city hall.
“This is my first city council meeting and I feel intimidated,” said resident Daisy Calderon, referring to the heavy police presence.
Meredith Linares, organizer for Santa Ana Youth Vote community group, was making protest signs outside city hall and said she hasn’t seen Amezcua in the community since the raids have taken place.
It’s a stark contrast to other city council members – like Jessie Lopez or Jonahthan Hernandez or Congressman Lou Correa who has been visible in churches and neighborhoods.
“I think that as a public figure she just needed to be out there and we’re upset that she wasn’t,” Linares said. “She put businesses first. We saw her meeting with businesses from fourth street. We didn’t see her with the families that got tear gassed.”
Amezcua didn’t directly address the immigration sweeps or protests until a social media video was posted last Wednesday evening – two days after demonstrations began.
Meanwhile, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and City Councilman Carlos Leoon issued a video statement supporting the community and denouncing the ICE raids last Thursday – the first day Anaheim saw a protest about the immigration sweeps.
As of Tuesday, Anaheim police officers haven’t arrested any protestors or fired rubber bullets or pepper balls at demonstrators, including the large protest on Saturday that organizers say featured up to 15,000 people.
“This is power, what we have in this space right here,” local activist Fernando Delgado said to a crowd of at least 70 people in front of City Hall shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Delgado publicly lambasted the Santa Ana police union’s influence on elections – where the group has spent hefty sums on the political campaigns of Amezcua and Councilmen Phil Bacerra and David Penaloza.
“This is what they’re afraid of. They’re afraid of people getting educated.”
Resident Bulmaro Vicente said Santa Ana doesn’t seem like a sanctuary city nowadays.
“I’m here because I am angry and I feel betrayed. We called ourselves a sanctuary city but what’s been going on and what’s been happening has not felt very sanctuary. We have the national guard in our city. We have police firing rubber bullets and tear gas at people at protestors. We have ICE terrorizing and abducting our community,” said Vicente, who’s also policy director for Chispa, a local political advocacy group.
Garden Grove resident Nathan Tran said he’s concerned about police “brutalizing” people.
“I am out here in Santa Ana to talk to the mayor and the city council about brutalizing peaceful protesters. I was shot in the face with a rubber bullet on [June 9th].. I am going to go question the city council about the militarization of our police forces and why the mayor is allowing SAPD to brutalize the protesters trying to protect their community. If the mayor cannot hold her forces and herself accountable then she needs to consider stepping down.”
Photography fellow Josiah Mendoza contributed to this story.
Correction: A previous version story wrongly attributed the quote about police presence outside city hall to Meredith Linares. It was Daisy Calderon who made the comment about police presence outside city hall. We regret the error.