Chicanos in East LA denounce violent ICE kidnapping

Los Angeles, CA – On June 11, over 100 Chicanos gathered at Salazar Park for a news conference and rally to denounce the violent ICE kidnapping of a father of two in Boyle Heights. At 10:15 on the morning of June 11, a vehicle with a mother, father, infant and toddler traveling on Whittier Boulevard was pinned between two ICE vehicles. The father’s vehicle was tear gassed, and the father was kidnapped by agents, leaving the totaled car on Whittier.

Members of Centro CSO, an organization that fights for immigrant rights in Boyle Heights and East LA, were at the scene while the confrontation unfolded and demanded ICE show the warrant and identify themselves – which the agents laughed at and refused. The man is being charged with assault on a federal agent, but DHS has yet to provide evidence.

At the press conference led by Centro CSO members Sol Marquez and Verita Topete, activists denounced the terror that ICE is bringing to Chicano and immigrant communities.

“We denounce this arrest as a human right violation, a violation for the right to protest,” said Carlos Montes, Centro CSO and longtime Chicano activist. “We are here to support the family. We’re gonna be protesting, we’re gonna be going to court. We’re gonna continue to fight!”

“We believe it’s a hit and run,” said attorney Christian Contreras, who announced he planned on suing the federal government. “LAPD was investigating this as a hit and run. In response the feds says that he punched a federal agent, is there any truth to that? Or are we relying on a government who’s attacking its own people on its own soil?”

Other speakers included Father Brendan Busse of Dolores Mission and Enrique Velazquez of Proyecto Pastoral. Antonio Chapa, a representative of County Supervisor Hilda Solis, read a solidarity statement in support.

After the press conference, Centro CSO and supporters from the neighborhood held a rally and occupied the street chanting “Stop the deportations!” “ICE out of LA!” “Stand up! Fight back!”

ICE and federal agents are kidnapping our working-class neighbors and throwing them into the basement of the Metropolitan Detention Center. The inaction of government officials in the face of such brutality speaks volumes. Words of unity and equity mean nothing without action – and their absence now is both shameful and complicit. Our demands are clear: Stop the ICE raids, legalization for all, and migra out of East LA and Boyle Heights.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Ice #CentroCSO #ChicanoLatino