Downey must stand together against fear and violence

Councilman Mario Trujillo speaks at a town hall meeting Tuesday focused on ICE activity in Downey.

DOWNEY – The resolve of Downey residents—from all five districts—to meet the daunting challenge of protecting our community was clearly evident at Tuesday’s Union del Barrio seminar at the Epic Live in Downey.

Hosted by concerned citizens, participants networked across districts, cities, counties, and organizations. The standing-room-only crowd included residents, neighbors, clergy, educators, college professors, nurses, bankers, immigrant rights advocates, civic and state representatives, veterans, college students, and members of the media. Former mayor Hector Sosa lent his support at the event.

The enthusiastic buzz reflected an urgent determination to take a firm stand against the present danger of ICE in Downey—and in neighboring immigrant communities. Activists emphasized the importance of protecting our communities in safe and proactive ways through community networks. Themes of perseverance and collective action reinforced the audience’s resolve.

This overwhelming response was not an isolated occurrence; rather, it serves as a call to residents and civic leaders alike to refuse to sit on the sidelines and to join those who love our city, our country, and our neighbors.

As a Downey resident of over 45 years, and my colleague’s for more than 56 years, collectively we have volunteered in our city and through church ministries. Are we domestic terrorists? Absolutely not. As U.S. citizens, we are called to do what is right. Like those present at the seminar, we expect our civic leaders to take a public stand against the heinous acts committed by ICE agents and their imminent threat posed within our community.

Daily, across all media platforms, we witness images of countless deaths at the hands of ICE and Border Patrol agents. Our silence allows something far more sinister to grow—DHS fear tactics, raids, abductions, and the execution of decent people, including U.S. citizens. Those present at the seminar understand the urgency and that our complicity fuels the rise of authoritarianism, imperialism, and even the threat of World War III.

When the current administration repeatedly and blatantly lies to the American people—defaming victims as “domestic terrorists” and labeling protesters, who are exercising their constitutional rights, as agitators—we cannot ignore this dangerous slide toward full-blown authoritarianism.

This dark reality robs us of our sense of peace. I felt this deeply last week at Furman Park while pushing my two-year-old grandchild on a swing. I struck up a conversation with a young mother from a neighboring city, and what she shared stayed with me.

“Here we are, swinging our children,” she said, “but what about the innocent preschooler who was kidnapped by ICE and taken to a detention center? He was separated from his family. That could have been any one of us.”

“How terrifying it must have been for young Liam Ramos, his father, and his family,” I added.

She went on to say, “In Downey, you have more educated people than where I live, but we are all afraid. Look at these neighborhood homes. Do these families really care about what is happening to us? I see ICE in my community, and you see them here too. The difference is you have a greater chance of doing something—of protecting your community. Your actions help my family and my community. That I understand.”

She is absolutely right. In solidarity, we can—and must—make a difference: to protect the most vulnerable, to challenge our civic leaders to respond compassionately to their constituents, to empower residents to safely respond to ICE activity via Community-led Alert and Response Networks, and to honor the victims murdered at the hands of ICE.

In January 2026 alone, we lost the following lives: Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter, Herbert Sanchez Dominguez, Victor Manuel Diaz, Parady La, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, and Anastasio Rojas. Notice how little to no media attention has been given to those with Spanish surnames. What does that tell us?

January 30 is the last day to make your voice heard in a constructive way. Call your Congressional representative at 202-224-3121 and support Congress member Delia Ramirez’s “Melt ICE Act,” which would defund ICE. Some say, “No more funding murder.” Others say, “Dismantle it and create a more humane system that truly targets real criminals.”

In closing, Downey residents and neighbors showed up on Tuesday because we all want the same things: to feel safe—in our neighborhoods, parks, schools, hospitals, places of worship, businesses, and shopping spaces; to be firmly supported by our city leaders; and to preserve our democracy before it is gone. These are not political desires; these are human ones. Our collective response, as witnessed at the Union del Barrio seminar, is genuinely proactive, pro–civil rights, and pro-democracy from a nation, built and powered by immigrants. Join us in this movement.

Downey Community-led Alert and Response Network: Victor Correa, Ricardo Mireles, Sandy Mercado, Henry Ceja, Carlos Casillas and Mario Trujillo.