Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, July 17 several members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) delivered a petition to the Santa Ana Immigration Court. In May of 2025, the court was one of the first places Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started arresting people. CSO OC has been running a campaign since then to pressure the immigration judges to move all hearings online so that people attending their hearings would not have to face ICE at the court. They collected over 1000 signatures calling for this.

Although, in June of 2026, a California judge ruled that arrests will no longer be allowed inside or outside immigration courts, CSO OC members upheld their demands.

Diana Terreros stated, “CSO OC found that the judges had a policy, PM21-03, that allows them to do remote hearings whenever they want. By choosing not to implement universal remote hearings, the judges at this immigration court have been complicit in ICE’s illegal arrests and allowed them to tear apart families. Even now, there is still a risk that ICE will continue detaining people at the court despite the ruling. ICE has shown complete disregard for the law and people's rights.”

CSO OC members marched towards the immigration court holding two large signs with photos of people who have died in ICE detention with “Detention = Death.” They held a banner that said, “Stop ICE arrests at the court!” They chanted “ICE out of our neighborhoods!” and “No justice, no peace! No ICE in our streets!”

Steven Ayoub stated, “Think about what that does to a person. You're forced into an impossible choice: show up to court and risk arrest or skip your hearing and be deported automatically for not appearing. There's no safe option. And I want to be honest with you about how high the stakes have become, because this isn't only about detention anymore. Just this past month, in Texas, a man named Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed. He was a 52-year-old father of three, originally from Mexico, who had been living in the United States for decades. On the morning of July 7, he was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston.”

Ayoub continued, “I raise this because it shows what we're really talking about. When enforcement is this aggressive and this unaccountable, an ordinary person doing an ordinary thing driving to work, or showing up to a court date can end up detained, or worse.”

Luis Morales Pedraza Babylon shared his experience. “I’m currently in the court system applying for a spousal green card and ever since the ICE thing started happening, sometimes when I go to sleep that’s all I think about. What if I get arrested and get sent to Mexico? I was brought here when I was four years old ,so I wouldn’t really know what to do over there.”

When they arrived at the court, they marched in holding their signs and were met with security and metal detectors. Once inside, they handed the petitions to the clerk desk. They had printed and addressed a petition for each of the 22 judges. The clerk initially did not want to accept them and had to go through two supervisors to get approval, although a stack of papers being delivered to them is not out of the ordinary. In the end, the petitions were accepted and delivered to the judges.

CSO OC fights for immigrant rights and police accountability. If you would like to connect with CSO OC you can contact them through Instagram at CSO.OC or gmail at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday evening, July 15, around 70 protesters took over the corner of Bristol and 1st in Santa Ana with the rallying cry, “Justice for Lorenzo Salgao Araujo! Justice for Joan Sebastian Guerrero!” “Hands off Nadia!” This protest was put on during a national week of action that was called by the Legalization 4 All Network to demand justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, and immigrants’ rights activist Nadia Topete.

“Today, we are here because in just one week, Immigration and Custom Enforcement has killed three people! Shame!”, stated Diana Terreros from Community Organization Orange County (CSO OC).

Terreros continued with describing the two known men who were murdered by ICE, “Lorenzo was killed in Houston and had lived in the U.S. for 35 years. He was simply on his way to work after picking up his crew when ICE decided to stop him and murder him. They were in unmarked cars and did not have body cameras. Joan Sebastian Guerrero was a 26-year-old Colombian living in Maine. He was murdered also after ICE initiated a traffic stop. They shot and killed him while his partner and three-year-old daughter watched.”

A moment of silence was then held for all victims of ICE.

“We are here to demand an end to ICE murders, an end to deportations, ICE out of our neighborhoods, and legalization for all!” exclaimed Terreros as she closed out.

“Sin justicia no hay paz!” and “ICE out of Santa Ana!”chanted the protesters.

Luis Morales Pedraza Babylon from CSO OC immigration committee stated, “The attempt to silence Nadia is not just an attack on her; it is a calculated tactic to keep every single one of us in the dark. The same systems that fear Nadia’s voice are the same systems that claimed the lives of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. These are not isolated tragedies. They are the result of a system that treats our families as disposable.”

Babylon spoke regarding the repression immigrant rights activist Nadia Topete from Centro CSO in Los Angeles is facing. She has been subpoenaed by the FBI to appear before a grand jury twice and twice she has resisted.

Rachel from AlianzaTransLatinx took the mic, “Today we raise our voice for the victims and those also still detained by ICE. Our humanity does not end when we cross a border. We demand transparency and an investigation when a person is killed in detention or at the hands of ICE!”

“My heart breaks and I am filled with rage every time another family, another life is destroyed by the unimaginable cruelty of ICE. We must honor Lorenzo, Joan, and every single life taken by ICE by showing up to this fight and by winning!” stated Jenna Perez, member of CSO OC immigration committee.

Perez continued, “We are also fighting alongside our immigrant neighbors in our local community right here in Santa Ana. Residents and families of the mobile home park Coach Royal have suffered abuse, harassment, and immigrant residents have been threatened with ICE being called on them. They have even had their homes illegally stolen from them by the Kingsley Corporation. Join us as we fight alongside the residents of Coach Royal and say fuera Kingsley!”

The protesters then marched around the large four-way intersection while holding signs stating “Killer ICE off our streets,” “Stop the deportations” and “Justice for those murdered by ICE.”

Rain Mendoza of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization took the mic, “Lorenzo Salgado and Joan Sebastian are the tenth and eleventh people to be killed in an ICE-related operation under the Trump administration. The inhumane violence done to immigrants is nothing new as deportation efforts have historically been fatal.”

Mendoza continued, “During mass deportations of the Great Depression and Operation Wetback, immigrants and Chicanos were deported and also died either in detention centers or during immigration operations. This is why I am a communist fighting for socialist revolution and overthrowing the ruling class. Only socialist revolution which brings about an end to the ruling class that steps on our necks and allows killer cops and ICE agents to shoot us down, can bring a change.”

“Justicia para Lorenzo Araujo! Justicia para Joan Sebastian Guerrero!”chanted the protesters as they took up both ends of the corner as more cars honked in support.

The action was organized by Community Service Organization OC as a response to a call to action by the Legalization 4 All Network. If you would like to connect with CSO OC you can contact them through Instagram at CSO.OC or gmail at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSOOC #L4A

Santa Ana, CA – On June 15, Community Service Organization Orange County and movement lawyers with the Peace and Justice Law Center served a demand letter threatening to sue Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) for not disclosing records about the arrest and death of Freddie Washington. On July 1, SAPD was forced to release 18 body camera videos, 58 photographs and two incident reports. These records reveal the moments leading up to Freddie’s arrest on January 15, 2025.

Police were called about a man refusing to pay for his stay at a hotel in Santa Ana. The first officers to respond were Isaac Ibarra and Jonathan Mondragon. Ibarra was one of two officers who killed unarmed Noe Rodriguez in 2024, shooting him 11 times and lying about what Rodriguez was doing before the shooting.

When Freddie Washington did not answer the door, Officer Isaac Ibarra opened it using a set of master keys. Officer Jonathan Mondragon immediately drew his gun and pointed it directly at Washington during about 14 minutes of “negotiation.” Both officers tried to convince him to leave his room, calling for backup as Washington called his lawyer. Mondragon’s report mentions Washington’s “erratic” language and “refusal to comply,” both common justifications for excessive force by police.

Four more officers arrived and Ibarra coordinated the arrest. Police entered with tasers drawn, wrestled Freddie Washington out of his chair and forced him against a hotel room bed. Officers Jonathan Mondragon and Francisco Rodriguez held him down. An officer we can now identify as Frank Corpus punched Washington in the head twice on camera. Washington screamed for help.

Police wrestled Washington to the floor. As three held Washington down, officer Jesse Hernandez pressed his taser against Washington’s body and said, “Stop or you’re going to get tased” and “Stop fighting,” to which Washington replied, “I’m not fighting! Y’all are fighting me!”

Jesse Hernandez was involved in a prior in-custody death: on September 13 2022, Hernandez was one of many SAPD officers who chased unarmed 72-year-old Miguel Chavez into a CVS parking lot after he was in a car accident. In the parking lot, officer Mark Schifflett sicced his K-9 on Chavez, who died two days later from his wounds.

Police pinned Freddie Washington to the floor using their arms and knees for several minutes. They handcuffed him and put him in a restraint device called “the WRAP.” Fully immobilized, Washington asked for tea to drink, and several officers smirked and mocked him. Police hoisted Washington onto a gurney and he yelled as his cuffed wrists were driven into its surface. That is the moment Isaac Ibarra finally decided to offer Washington his tea, but he ultimately withheld it.

This small, sadistic gesture captures the heart of the incident. Throughout the arrest, Freddie Washington refused to surrender his dignity or his right to decide. And while police cited charges like “trespass” and “defrauding an innkeeper” to justify the violence, the truth is that the racist violence speaks for itself. It also speaks to the larger trend of police violence against Black people in the U.S. In California alone in 2025, Black people were 55% times more likely to be killed by police than white people, and Washington’s arrest resembled countless other police crimes that emerged before, during and after the George Floyd Rebellion.

Santa Ana City Attorney Sonia Carvalho said the city would release more records on or about July 8. These records should include materials related to Washington’s in-custody death on January 16, 2025. But SAPD has not released additional records. If it continues its pattern of delaying the release of records, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) and the Peace and Justice Law Center will resume with the lawsuit.

CSO OC fights for families impacted by police violence and for community control of the police. The fact that the community had to threaten a lawsuit to get more clarity on Freddie Washington’s death reflects SAPD’s culture of impunity, but it also shows the power and necessity of taking action ourselves. The community should also have the right to decide how officers are disciplined for misconduct and excessive use of force, especially when they have histories of violence. In the meantime, you can help support the family of Freddie Washington by donating here.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #CSO #FreddieWashington #InjusticeSystem

Edwin Salazar of the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services (CARAS) stated, “If it’s him this week, is it going to be us next? Who's going to be next?”

Salazar continued “We’re angry, we’re upset. But we can continue to show up consistently every single month, every single week, every single day. We’re supporting our immigrant communities here in San Jose, in California, in America!”

Uriel Magdaleno, a member of CSO San Jose, read a statement by the Legalization for All Network in which he gives details on the unjust pursuit Salgado-Araujo faced by ICE agents. Magdaleno stated “ICE agents had no jurisdiction to perform local traffic stops. They lie and this is what they use to justify an ICE agent opening fire and shooting Salgado-Araujo in the stomach.”

Magdaleno later brought up a case in which ICE, in Texas, took a life in a similar manner, stating, “On February 24, 2026, 23-year-old Ruben-Ray Martinez, a Chicano U.S. citizen, was shot and killed during a traffic stop. Shame!” Magdaleno finished off his speech chanting, “Justice for Lorenzo” and “Hands off Nadia!”

Kim Cortéz-Solorio with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “The monopoly capitalist class is set on attacking the Chicano nation and continues to use ICE as its primary means of carrying out their brutality against Chicanos and immigrants.”

Cortéz-Solorio continued, “Centro CSO members Nadia Topete and Alejandro Orellana are trying to be silenced by [Assistant U.S. Attorney] Bill Essayli. We stand in solidarity and say protesting is not a crime!”

The rally ended with chanting that showed solidarity with those who were martyred by ICE. Kim Cortez-Solorio and Jessica Aviles led chants including, “Justice for Lorenzo,” “Justice For Renee” and “ICE out!” The chanting was followed by a group called Singing Solidarity who brought community members together by singing at the end of the action.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #KillerICE #InJusticeSystem #ICE #CSOSanJose

Crockett, CA – On Monday, July 13, members and allies of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 6 turned out in force for a picket at the C&H Sugar Factory in Crockett. This is the fifth week of an all-hands strike in protest of bad-faith bargaining offered by C&H.

Chants of “Union power!” and “Contract now!” rang out across the factory gates as workers marched en masse to the entrance, undeterred by vans full of scabs and private security. In addition, picketers demanded justice for the “Negros Nineteen,” who were massacred on April 19 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Among those killed were labor organizers Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem, from the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington state, respectively.

ILWU Local 6 is fighting aggressive cuts to sick leave, retiree healthcare and seniority benefits proposed by C&H, as well as refusing to unload a cargo ship of “blood sugar” brought from the Philippines. Throughout its history since its foundation in 1934, Local 6 has engaged in multiple rounds of militant struggle including five strikes, and 2026 is no exception.

Coordinated actions by workers and allies have repeatedly prevented the delivery of sugar at two separate ports in Richmond and Crockett. Picketers have operated on land and sea to actively deny factory access to scab workers and prevent the ship from docking, including a “floating picket” conducted when bosses tried to sneak the ship to another port using tugboats in the dead of night. In more than a month, just 25% of the sugar has been unloaded at a non-union port in Richmond, where it sits in open storage exposed to motor oil, animal feces and other contaminants.

“The labor movement is the last best chance for most Americans,” said Harvey Schwartz, labor historian and 57-year veteran reporter for the ILWU Dispatcher. “I'm optimistic about union leadership, and we have a lot of very strong young workers.” Chanting intensified as black vans drove past the picket line, bringing scabs hired by C&H bosses to desperately maintain production. Meanwhile, workers organized a screen with their backs and signs to prevent scab security from filming the faces of picketers.

Addressing the crowd, ILWU International Vice President Brandon Wolff said, “This is what it means to be part of a real union, a real family, and a real community. What's important to me is these 75 and 80-year-old people at home right now, wondering if they're gonna be able to get their diabetic medicine, wondering if they're gonna be able to get their flu shots, because this fucking company canceled their health benefits!”

“Brothers and sisters of Local 6, we got you!” Wolff continued. “From the top to the bottom to everywhere in between, from Alaska, to San Diego, to Hawaii and Australia, we've got a lot of international support coming in, we got you! So Local 6 and their counsel, go give 'em hell!” The crowd roared out in response and formed ranks to march on the bosses.

Over 200 people representing a multitude of different working-class organizations stood together in solidarity, including allied labor unions, political parties, and other groups. They included other ILWU Locals 142 (Hawaii) and 29 (San Diego), United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), Gabriela, Bayan, Kapit-Bisig Unyonista LA, Bay Area Tenant and Neighborhood Councils (TANC), Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), International League of People's Struggles (ILPS), East Bay Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and many more.

ILWU Local 6's strike continues into its fifth week, with workers committed to doing whatever it takes to secure a decent contract.

#CrockettCA #CA #Labor #ILWU #Strike #ThePhillippines #ILPS #Bayan #Gabriela #Featured

San Jose, CA – On Wednesday, July 8, around two dozen people rallied at the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library against Trump’s relaunching of the U.S. war against Iran.

Signs depicting children murdered in the Minab school bombing by the U.S. were laid out on the steps in from of the library. Protesters held signs saying, “No war on Iran” and “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation.”

Donna Wallach of San Jose Against War spoke to the crowd about how popular opinion is against the ongoing war in Iran, saying, “The great majority of Americans do not support this horrible, horrendous attack on Iran.”

Sharat Lin, board member of Human Agenda and the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, emphasized that the U.S. has always been the aggressor nation in the conflict, saying that the U.S. “must stop sabotaging the MOU. Stop trying to dominate the rest of the world. Stop trying to dominate Iran!”

Jack McCann, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, highlighted that Trump has no geopolitical leverage against Iran, yet continually lashes out. He said, “As Iran remains steadfast, Trump has two options: lose quietly or lose loudly and he’s choosing the latter.”

The chanting crowd drew supportive honks throughout the action.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran

Santa Ana, CA – On July 8, over 50 Chicanos rallied outside a federal courthouse in support of Nadia Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO who was inside with a grand jury. Just days before, on July 1, federal agents showed up to Nadia's home with another grand jury subpoena, threatening that, if she did not appear, she could be held in contempt.

Nadia Topete walked out the federal courthouse with her head up high and stated she had exercised her Fifth Amendment right. She was greeted by chants of “Hands off Nadia Topete,” “Chinga la migra” and “DOJ hands off Nadia!” that were loud enough to be heard inside the federal building.

“Protesting ICE is not a crime!” said Verita Topete, Nadia’s sister and fellow Chicana organizer. “Our communities are stronger than Trump and the DOJ’s ruling class interests. The targeting of Nadia is a pattern of political repression from the federal government.”

Jasia Topete, older sister of both Nadia and Verita, stated, “Today was a very moving gesture of unity and support for my baby sister, Nadia. Seeing the tremendous support she has gained on a national level through the calls to action online by different organizations was very heartening to see. Witnessing how many people took the time to come out and show her love was very heart warming and reassuring to our family. We know she did nothing wrong. Amplifying the voices of our people is not a crime. She will continue to hold her head high like the confident resilient that she is. Nadia, we love you, Thank you so much to everyone that is rooting for Nadia!”

Mick Kelly of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression told the crowd, “I would like to salute Nadia, a woman of uncommon courage who is standing up for all of us. This will certainly not end here. We will stand with Nadia every inch of the way.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo, member of Centro CSO, stated, “I see this attack from the DOJ and the Trump administration as not only a direct attack on our sister Nadia but a direct blow to all of us fighting against this administration. An attack on one is an attack on all!”

Speakers from Centro CSO, CSO OC, CLUE, ILPS, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and Legalization for All spoke in defense of Topete, condemning the political repression of Immigrant Rights activists.

It is unclear what is next, but if the DOJ witch hunt continues, Centro CSO and their allies will be ready to defend their own, Nadia Topete, a daughter of Aztlan.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #GrandJury #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #CentroCSO #NadiaTopete #CSFR #Featured

The biggest surprise of the jobs numbers was the loss of 55,000 jobs in hotels and restaurants. This was the biggest loss since the COVID pandemic in 2020. Many economists questioned this figure, given the tourism for the FIFA World Cup soccer games. But tourism, and thus employment in hotels and restaurants, has been declining under the Trump administration, while increasing in the rest of the world. Trump’s repeated claim to want to make Canada a U.S. state, his restrictions on travel visas, and harassment of tourists at U.S. borders and airports have made the United States a less desirable destination. U.S. hotels reported room booking during FIFA World Cup was below expectations, and some even said bookings were below usual summer rates.

An early sign of the impact of artificial intelligence or AI on jobs was the continued drop in information technology jobs. 9000 jobs were lost in this sector, marking the 17th time in the last 18 months jobs have been lost. Job losses in information technology and finance, which are almost all white-collar jobs most susceptible to AI replacement, have accelerated this year. In 2026, an average of more than 20,000 jobs were lost each month in these two industries.

While the unemployment rate ticked down in June to 4.2% from 4.3% in May, this was mainly because more than 700,000 workers dropped out of the labor force. This happens when jobless workers stop looking for work and are not counted as unemployed. Without this, the unemployment rate would have gone up in June to 4.5%.

Latino workers were hit especially hard, as their unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in June from 5.0% in May. At the same time, their labor force participation rate fell from 67.2% to 66%. If Latinos who dropped out of the labor force were counted as unemployed, their unemployment rate would have risen to 6.4%.

Wage growth for production and non-supervisory workers grew 3.4% from June last year, significantly behind the 4.4% increase in prices for the same workers as reported in June. The June inflation report will come out on July 14.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Jobs #Unemployment

Santa Ana, CA – On the morning of July 8, immigrant rights activist Nadia Topete went before a grand jury at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse. Topete was inside for a short time before reappearing out of the courthouse to state that she exercised her Fifth Amendment right to stay silent.

The crowd of over 50 supporters from Los Angeles and Orange County cheered her on, chanting, “DOJ: Hands off Nadia!” and “What do we want? Hands off Nadia! When do we want it? Now!”

Nadia Topete is a 21-year-old who twice had FBI agents show up at her door. Topete is a proud Chicana and immigrant rights activist. She has done nothing wrong and continues mobilizing to beat the attacks the Trump administration is enacting on immigrants.

Among those gathered outside were members of Centro CSO in Los Angeles and CSO Orange County. Others present were also with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Gabriela – LA, ILPS, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), and others.

“We applaud the tremendous strength of my sister Nadia Topete and will be ready to fight back for her if she is summoned once again,” said Verita Topete, a member of Centro CSO and chair of the CSO immigration committee.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #LosAngelesCA #ImmigrantRights #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #GrandJury #CentroCSO #Featured

San Jose, CA – On Friday, July 3, around two dozen people gathered for a rally and march starting at Dr. MLK Jr. Library to stand against the U.S.’s endless investment and participation in war across the globe, currently including but not limited to, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela and Palestine.

The crowd chanted, “Money for jobs and education, not for war and occupation” and “Israel bombs, U.S. pays, how many did they kill today?”

Jack McCann, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke about the U.S.’s priority of profits over people over the last 250 years saying, “It has never been about freedom and liberty and all the other lullabies the ruling class sings to us, the working people of this country.”

McCann continued, “We have watched as they use our money to fight their wars, killing people around the world while we go hungry at home, while we struggle to pay our bills, while we fight for the scraps that fall off of their table.”

Donna Wallach, of San Jose Against War told the crowd, “Using our tax money, U.S.-made fighter jets, and high tech weaponry, Israeli soldiers bomb Lebanese villages in southern Lebanon, murdering civilians, and specifically target medical professionals and journalists. Many areas throughout southern Lebanon are flattened, everything destroyed, much like in Gaza.”

Drusie Kazanova of San Jose Against War spoke of the U.S. aggression towards Venezuela. Kazanova brought attention to President Maduro and First Lady Flores’s kidnapping in January, saying, “The U.S. is currently holding hostage the kidnapped, democratically-elected president and first lady of a sovereign country.”

Kazanova also highlighted the resilience of the Cuban people under the 64 year embargo against Cuba, saying, “Cuba has the most advanced doctors and medical training in the world, they invent and manufacture their very own vaccines but are unable to administer them because the U.S. blocks imports of medical syringes.”

Akubundu Amazu of the All African People’s Revolutionary Party, brought attention to recent repression of organizers with the Communist Party, Marxist of Kenya. Amazu noted, “We cannot let them stop us from building international solidarity. The only way we’re going to defeat this international repressive machine is with international global resistance!”

Representatives from the League of Filipino Students (LFS) at San Jose State University and the San Jose Peace and Justice Center also spoke highlighting the U.S.’s increasing efforts to develop manufacturing and AI specifically for war and genocide.

After the speaker program, the crowd began the march through downtown chanting loudly, waving signs, and passing out zines.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #July4th #Palestine #Cuba #Venezuela #Iran

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday June 27, Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) held a rally on Main and 4th for Santa Ana Pride. Despite the hot temperatures, the energy was still high with chants of “No cops at Pride!” starting things off.

CSO OC Police Accountability Committee member Matthew Compton kicked the rally off stating, “On June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn, which led to the Stonewall Riots.” Compton continued, “Outside Stonewall, the people fought back. Yelling and protesting police for arresting those inside the Inn. They threw bottles and debris at them as they pushed the Stonewall attendees into police vans. LGTBQ people do not go down quietly.”

Khue Bui from CSO OC’S Immigration Committee stated “There are nearly 300,000 queer and trans undocumented immigrants, who face additional oppression within the immigration system. On average, trans immigrants are kept in detention twice as long, where they are misgendered and often kept in isolation.” Bui continued with, “Queer immigrants are 97 times more likely to be sexually assaulted in detention centers. While trans detainees face constant transphobic harassment, assault and mistreatment from ICE officers.”

Throughout the day, two Santa Ana Police Department officers kept circling the rally. Compton highlighted over the megaphone that the SAPD recently killed a 15-year-old Chicano named Jaden Michaca while he was having a mental health crisis. He stated that cops are not welcome at Pride due to their killing of Chicanos. Protesters followed with chants of “Fuck SAPD!” and calling them murderers. One officer stated over his intercom “Thank you for those kind words.”

After the fiery speeches and confrontation with police, chanting became even louder. Protesters screamed, “Hell no we won’t be quiet! Stonewall was a riot!” and “Transphobe cops! Off our streets!” as many onlookers joined in on the chants as they were passing by.

Pearl Arzola, the older sister of Albert Arzola, whose life was taken by Anaheim PD, stated “Pride is about more than celebrations and parades. It is about acceptance, respect, and the freedom to live and be yourself. It reminds us that everyone deserves to feel safe, valued and included, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Rachel Pozos from AlianzaTransLatinx stated,“We are living in a moment when many of our communities are living in fear.” She continued. “But I want to make something clear. We are not going to disappear, we are not going to hide, and we will not be silent. Because every time an immigrant is attacked, they are attacking an entire family. Every time they attack a trans woman, they are attacking our dignity. Every time they try to sow fear, we sow hope and resistance!”

Emma Gottfried of Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “We've all seen how the Trump administration has escalated their anti-trans and other anti-LGBTQ executive orders and reactionary legislation.”

Gottfried continued, “These heightened attacks by the Trump administration are a part of the accelerating decline of the U.S. empire as a means to oppress us and prevent real change, revolutionary change. Oppression, bigotry and inequality are not a natural constant in our world, it’s a product of a system and that system is monopoly capitalism.”

Despite taunting by the SAPD, the rally did not stop. With loud chanting continuing and insults being hurled at the two SAPD officers each time they passed by. Chants of “Pride was a riot!” and “No ICE at Pride!” echoed throughout downtown Santa Ana.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #LGBTQ #CSOOC #Pride

La Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad está en solidaridad con Nadia Topete, una activista chicana por los derechos de los inmigrantes y organizadora comunitaria de Centro CSO. Nadia ha sido citada y ordenada a comparecer ante un juez y un gran jurado el miércoles 8 de julio.

El año pasado en febrero, Los Ángeles fue el epicentro de una rebelión masiva contra la ocupación de ICE y las deportaciones masivas. En julio, Alejandro ‘Alex’ Orellana fue allanado por el FBI, y el Estado intentó presentar cargos en su contra por el supuesto delito de dar cubrebocas a manifestantes que estaban siendo atacados con gas lacrimógeno y proyectiles. El movimiento se movilizó en su defensa y sus cargos fueron retirados.

Ahora el gobierno de Trump y el Departamento de Justicia (DOJ) van tras Nadia y Centro CSO para intentar nuevamente armar un caso contra organizadores de derechos de inmigrantes. ICE y la maquinaria de deportación son los verdaderos criminales aquí, y cuando van contra activistas, nosotros los respaldamos.

Los grandes jurados son una trampa: no te permiten un abogado en la sala; no puedes presentar testigos. No se te permite presentar una defensa, y el fiscal controla toda la narrativa. Son una herramienta diseñada para obligar a las personas a implicar a otros bajo la amenaza de ir a la cárcel. Las personas que resisten a los grandes jurados y a la represión del FBI son héroes.

Nadia Topete no hizo nada malo. El gobierno de Trump quiere acabar con la resistencia contra ICE y asustar a los activistas para que se sometan.

No nos vamos a echar para atrás y hacemos un llamado a todos los que creen que protestar contra ICE no es un delito a que se solidaricen con Nadia y con todos los que enfrentan la represión del FBI y del DOJ. La defensa de Nadia Topete debe ser una prioridad. Hagan que su organización publique una declaración en apoyo a ella y envíen una copia al Comité para Detener la Represión del FBI. Respondan a los llamados del Comité para Detener la Represión del FBI para las jornadas de llamadas telefónicas y los días nacionales de protesta.

Podemos y vamos a derrotar estos ataques.

¡Manos fuera de Nadia Topete!

#LosAngelesCA #CA #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #ICE

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with Nadia Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist and community organizer with Centro CSO. Nadia has been subpoenaed, and ordered to appear before a judge and grand jury on Wednesday, July 8.

Last year in February, L.A. was the epicenter of a massive rebellion against ICE occupation and mass deportations. In July, Alejandro ‘Alex’ Orellana was raided by the FBI, and the state tried to bring charges against him for the supposed crime of giving masks to protesters who were being tear gassed and hit with projectiles. The movement mobilized in his defense and his charges were dropped.

Now the Trump administration and the DOJ are targeting Nadia and Centro CSO to take another shot at building a case against immigrant rights organizers. ICE and the deportation machine are the actual criminals here, and when they come for activists, we have their backs.

Grand juries are a trap: you don’t get a lawyer in the room; you can’t bring witnesses. You are not allowed to present a defense, and the prosecutor controls the entire narrative. They are a tool designed to force people to implicate others with the penalty of jail. People who resist grand juries and FBI repression are heroes.

Nadia Topete did nothing wrong. The trump administration wants to snuff out the resistance to ICE and scare activists into submission.

We are not backing down and call on all those who believe that protesting ICE is not a crime to stand with Nadia and all those facing FBI and DOJ repression. The defense of Nadia Topete needs to be a priority. Have your organization publish a statement in support of her and send a copy to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Respond to the calls of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression for call-in days and national days of protest.

We can and will defeat these attacks.

Hands off Nadia Topete!

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #PoliticalRepression #ICE #GrandJury

Santa Ana, CA – 28 personas, incluyendo residentes del parque de casas móviles Coach Royal, familias afectadas por muertes a manos de la policía y miembros de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) fueron al Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana el martes 19 de mayo.

Fuera del salón del concejo, el Comité de Inmigración de CSO OC se manifestó para exigir que Kingsley Corporation se retire del parque de casas móviles Coach Royal.

Dentro del salón, el Comité de Responsabilidad Policial de la CSO entregó su petición exigiendo que los agentes del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana, Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra, sean despedidos por haber matado a Noe Rodríguez. El 19 de mayo coincidía con el cumpleaños de Rodríguez.

Karla Alvarado, residente de Coach Royal, declaró, “Tuvimos nuestra reunión sobre la estabilización de alquileres hace casi un mes, y estamos solicitando el video de ese evento, ¡y la ciudad está tratando de negarnos acceso!”. En dicha reunión, Kingsley negó a los residentes el acceso a servicios de interpretación al español o a la designación de testigos, y prohibieron la entrada de observadores a la sesión. Sin embargo, las protestas de los residentes obligaron al personal municipal a “darse cuenta” de que los residentes tenían derecho a esas garantías.

Dentro del salón de sesiones se escuchaban los cánticos de “¡Fuera Kingsley! ¡Fuera Kingsley!”, mientras que en el exterior la gente se manifestaba. El personal de la ciudad de Santa Ana intentó a callar las voces subiendo el volumen del televisor situado en el exterior; la estrategia resultó contraproducente y provocó que los residentes gritaran aún con más fuerza.

Dentro del salón, la alcaldesa Valerie Amezcua intentó silenciar a los residentes leyendo una declaración del abogado de la ciudad, en la que se afirmaba que no había nada que la ciudad pudiera hacer con respecto a Kingsley. Los abucheos del público la interrumpieron. Amenazando con suspender la sesión, Amezcua difamó a los residentes de Coach Royal, alegando, sin presentar prueba alguna, que estos “habían recurrido a proferir amenazas y a actuar con agresividad física hacia nuestro personal municipal”.

El concejo municipal votó a favor de limitar el tiempo de comentarios del público a un minuto. Los abucheos llenaron el salón mientras los concejales Valerie Amezcua, Jessie Lopez, Phil Bacerra y Thai Viet Phan votaban para silenciar al público.

Matthew Compton, miembro de CSO OC, declaró, “Ustedes están realmente jodidamente asustados de los residentes de Coach Royal, y es verdaderamente jodidamente vergonzoso que hayan decidido reducir el tiempo a un minuto. ¡Incluida tú, Jessie! Los Arzolas están sentados justo ahí y han sido testigos de sus mierdas. Fueron tocando puerta a puerta por ti y te brindaron su apoyo”.

La familia de Albert Arzola, quien fue asesinado por el agente de la policía de Anaheim, Nathan Garcia, el 1 de diciembre de 2025, han apoyado durante semanas la candidatura de Lopez a la Asamblea Estatal, dado que su oponente, el concejal de Santa Ana David Penaloza, es un leal servidor de la policía.

Erika Armenta, viuda de Noe Rodriguez, se dirigió al podio. A ambos lados de ella, miembros de CSO OC sostenían carteles que exhibían cientos de firmas de una petición. Al 21 de mayo, la petición sumaba ya 638 firmas. Puede firmar aquí.

Armenta declaró, “Han pasado ya 504 días desde el 1 de diciembre de 2024, que los oficiales asesinos Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra le quitaron la vida al padre de mis hijas, Noe Rodríguez, en una lluvia de balas; sin embargo, ustedes no han hecho nada. La alcaldesa, en particular, se encarga de protegerlos, ofreciendo públicamente su apoyo a estos supuestos ‘agentes de la paz’ sin consideración alguna el dolor que esto nos causa a nosotras, quienes hemos perdido a un ser querido.”.

Armenta acercó su teléfono al micrófono y reprodujo una grabación de la voz de su hija. Su hija decía, “Me siento triste porque hoy es el cumpleaños de mi papá y no puedo abrazar. Me siento frustrada porque le arrebataron la vida, y los quienes hicieron esto todavía siguen libres”. Mientras la grabación continuaba, Armenta alzó un dibujo, “Le hice este dibujo para recordar su bonita memoria”.

Mientras Armenta hablaba, la concejala Thai Viet Phan miraba al vacío y comía yogur.

David Pulido, miembro del CSO OC, declaró, “Estamos aquí hoy para presentar los resultados preliminares de nuestra petición de justicia para Noe Rodríguez”. Pulido continuó diciendo, “¡Hoy habría sido su cumpleaños! ¡Y ustedes le robaron ese tiempo!”. Mientras la ciudad le cortaba el micrófono, Pulido exigió al jefe de policía, Robert Rodríguez, que despidiera a los policías asesinos y encabezó los cantos, “¿Luis Casillas? ¡Encierrenlo! ¿Isaac Ibarra? ¡Enciérrenlo!”. Los cánticos llenaron el salón y el público ahogó la voz de la alcaldesa, obligándola a guardar silencio.

Guadalupe Barragán, residente de Coach Royal que lleva años luchando contra los abusos de Kingsley, refutó las declaraciones calumniosas de la alcaldesa sobre los residentes de Coach Royal. Señaló directamente a Amezcua y exclamó, “¡Ojala que tengas pruebas de todo lo que acaba de decir ahorita acusando a mi familia! Tu me conoces y somos gente trabajadora. ¡Sí, estamos enojados! ¡Porque Kingsley están robando las casas!”.

Diana Terreros, miembro del CSO OC, tomó el micrófono y dijo, “Es una vergüenza que intenten calumniar a los residentes de Coach Royal, alegando que están amenazando al personal municipal. Tenemos un video que demuestra que, durante su audiencia, el personal de la ciudad intentó ponerles las manos encima y trató de expulsar a los testigos”. Terreros continuó, “Ustedes no dejan de decirles que demanden a Kingsley, que presenten sus peticiones y que hagan esto y aquello de manera individual. Lo que nosotros exigimos es que esto se aborde como el problema sistémico que realmente es. En todos los lugares del país donde opera Kingsley, se están produciendo estos mismos problemas. Esto no se resolverá con una demanda individual. ¡Qué vergüenza les debería dar no hacer absolutamente nada al respecto!”.

Mientras el público se retiraba, personal de la ciudad notificó vergonzosamente a Karla Alvarado una orden de restricción presentada por una empleada municipal llamada Maricela Márquez, quien estuvo presente en la reunión de la División de Estabilización de Alquileres del pasado 29 de abril. Alvarado deberá comparecer ante el tribunal el 29 de mayo.

Estos ataques no impedirán que CSO OC siga luchando codo con codo junto al pueblo. ¡Exigimos que Kingsley se vaya de Santa Ana! ¡Exigimos el despido de los policías asesinos Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra!

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #Kingsley #CoachRoyal #PeoplesStruggles

Santa Ana, CA – Dieciséis personas, entre ellas familiares de Jaden Michaca, abogados del bufete Carillo Law Firm y miembros de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC), se congregaron frente al Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) para exigir justicia para Jaden Michaca el martes 23 de junio. Michaca tenía solo 15 años y estaba sufriendo una crisis de salud mental cuando fue asesinado por la policía apenas nueve días antes.

Maribel Michaca, la mamá de Jaden, explicó cómo el SAPD distorsionó el incidente. Las declaraciones de la policía dieron a entender que estaban respondiendo a una llamada por un altercado familiar que terminó en un apuñalamiento. Maribel explicó que llamó al 911 para que atendieran una crisis de salud mental, y que en el pasado había llamado al 911 para que un equipo psiquiátrico calmara estas situaciones. Además, Maribel dijo que su pareja no fue apuñalada, sino que se hizo un rasguño accidentalmente al intentar quitarle un cuchillo a Jaden durante su crisis.

Pero esta vez enviaron a dos agentes de policía. Cuando la policía irrumpió en su departamento, Maribel dijo, “¡Por favor, no disparen! ¡Por favor, no disparen! ¡Mi hijo está pasando por una crisis de salud mental!”. En la conferencia de prensa, Maribel explicó, “Yo estaba parada junto a él y a ellos no les importó. Simplemente comenzaron a disparar, una bala tras otra. Ni siquiera les importó que mi propia vida estuviera en peligro”. Maribel recibió un balazo en la mano y su pulgar derecho quedó inmovilizado con una férula. Ella dijo, “Mi hijo no representaba ningún peligro para mí. Estaba más en peligro por los disparos de la policía, que podrían haberme matado a mí y a mi hijo”.

Michael Carillo, uno de los abogados que representa a la familia, dijo que estaban presentando una demanda contra el gobierno de la ciudad de Santa Ana y el SAPD, en la que acusan a los oficiales de negligencia y de no haber logrado calmar la situación. La forma en que el SAPD respondió ante Jaden Michaca fue similar a la de otros casos de muertes a manos de la policía, como los de Henry González Jr. y Noe Rodríguez, quienes también estaban sufriendo una crisis de salud mental y luego fueron criminalizados y asesinados por la policía.

Los familiares sostenían fotos grandes de Jaden, en las que se le veía acunando a su gato, abrazando a su familia frente a un pastel de cumpleaños y de pie junto a su madre. Otros sostenían pancartas de CSO OC en las que se leía, “Justicia para Jaden Michaca”, “Publicen las grabaciones de las cámaras corporales”, “Publicen el informe de la autopsia” y “Encarcelen a los policías asesinos”.

Jasmine Michaca, la tía de Jaden dijo, “Jaden siempre fue un niño muy cariñoso. Pasé la mayor parte de mi infancia junto a él. A Jaden le empezó a gustar Pokémon y cada vez que venía a casa, me mostraba su colección”.

En los últimos dos años, Jaden comenzó a sufrir trastorno bipolar. Su mamá lo sacó de la escuela pública y empezó a tomar clases en línea y a recibir ayuda. Jasmine compartió su último recuerdo de su sobrino, diciendo, “Acababa de regresar de la Universidad de California en Santa Bárbara. Pasamos el fin de semana juntos y él estaba tan emocionado de verme. Me había llamado dos semanas antes. Recuerdo que un día estábamos sentados en la sala y me contaba que no había podido terminar la preparatoria. Quería ir a la universidad y seguir una carrera como mecánico. Le dije que si alguna vez necesitaba ayuda, yo estaría ahí para apoyarlo”. Ella lloró y abrazó a la madre de Jaden.

Maribel Michaca dijo, “Lo que pido hoy es justicia para mi hijo. No merecía morir de esa manera. Era un niño cariñoso. ¡Tenía planes! ¡Tenía un futuro!”.

La multitud coreó, “¡Justicia para Jaden! ¡Justicia para Jaden! ¡Justicia para Jaden!”.

CSO OC exige el control comunitario de la policía, y luchamos junto a las familias afectadas por la policía. Si te interesa unirte a nuestro trabajo, ponte en contacto con nosotros en Instagram, Facebook, o correo electrónico a orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #JadenMichaca #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

San Jose , CA – On June 30, San Jose State University Professor Dr. Sang Hea Kil of the Justice Studies Department held a victory rally after her arbitration allowing her to return go with full backpay. This came after a protracted campaign where she bravely resisted her firing due to her vocal disapproval of the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Palestine. She was the first tenured professor to be fired from a public university for speaking against the genocide in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

At the rally outside of the Martin Luther King Library, Dr. Kil triumphantly exclaimed, “This is an incredible victory for free speech, academic freedom, student protest, freedom of assembly and pro-Palestine speech on campus and beyond.” Rallying alongside a demonstration of allies and supporters, she encouraged others to continue the fight, “Let’s use this as a watershed moment to turn the tide against targeted repression on our campus and in this nation!”

For the courageous act of joining a march and rally with Students for Justice in Palestine to protest a Zionist speaker on campus in February 2024, Dr. Kil was arbitrarily suspended with pay the following May and subsequently fired in summer 2025. Despite winning her case under the public hearing option of Article 19 of the collective bargaining agreement between her union and the California State University system, which ruled that she would receive no charges, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente Matson unilaterally overturned the ruling and forcibly removed her in November. This is in stark contrast to the now-retired Professor Johnathan Roth, who received no charges for hitting a Palestinian student and sexually assaulting Dr. Kil during that same demonstration.

Regarding President Matson, Dr. Kil noted, “I think she is doing MAGA’s work in the attack on higher education by going against people who speak against genocide.”

Dr. Kil also listed others who impeded her reinstatement, including SJSU Provost Vincent Del Castino, Skelly Officer Jennifer Sclafani, former Director of Student Involvement (now Student Union Director) John Tucker, DEI Head Kristin Dukes, English Department Head Noelle Williams, State Senator Scott Wiener, and Governor Gavin Newsom.

SJSU admin’s claims included many falsehoods, such as the notion that the embattled professor ordered students to protest, which Dr. Kil vehemently debunked. They also claimed she chanted “Kill the Jews” in a public hearing, despite herself never saying such. The misinformation campaign represented a flimsy yet relentless effort to justify an attack on free speech when it comes to human rights for Palestinians, especially for longtime activists like Dr. Kil, who had traveled to the Occupied Territories in 2016.

“We are in the belly of the beast in Silicon Valley which is collaborating to genocidal oppression and the ICE raids that are terrifying our communities by using Israeli surveillance technology that is being used to control everybody,” Dr. Kil said. “We have rights and we have a duty as citizens and residents of this nation to unite and fight back!”

Among those who had supported her, she thanked San José Against War, San José Peace and Justice Center, Silicon Valley Debug, Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Palestine Action Network, Palestine-Arab-Muslim Caucus of the California Faculty Association, Bay Area Labor for Palestine, Switchboard, AP National and Anita Levy, California Scholars for Academic Freedom, Palestine Anti-Repression Network, Council on American-Islamic Relations – California, Palestine Legal, and the NAACP-SJ.

Wendy Greenfield of JVP recalled the original demonstration which took place. “I never heard anything like ‘Death to the Jews’, or to anyone, and I made it clear to SJSU admin that she was not involved with the students,” Greenfield reported. “One of the biggest points for JVP is that antisemitism is not related to anti-Zionism, and that JVP is in solidarity with all peoples who are seeking liberation, and we are so happy to see the unity; this is a huge victory for unions, faculty, students, and freedom of expression.”

Legal manager for the SF-Bay Area Branch of CAIR California Amith Gupta stated, “This is only part of the struggle; all throughout the Bay Area, students and faculty want to speak out in defense of the most basic and fundamental rights that all human beings have the right to protection from racist violence, the right to protection from genocide, the right of return to your homeland irrespective of your religion.”

Gupta continued, “SJSU decided that that right should be erased when it comes to professors, faculty and students that speak out, and we made it clear to them that that is not true, that we will fight back, that we will defend our right to speak out. It is our obligation to speak out, and when people speak out the way Sang Hea Kil does, they are censored, repressed, and fired from their jobs. It is our obligation to defend them, and we were successful.”

Jack McCann of San José Against War drew from his experiences as a student activist during the 2024 Student Intifada in Humboldt University stated, “The real criminals sit in their ivory throne in SJSU admin inviting genocide deniers and companies that are complicit into this campus, such as the AI Data Center for Civic and Social Good, which Students for a Democratic Society in SJSU says is more like, the AI Center for War and Genocide.”

Humboldt University is currently mired in its own scandal from its decision to file a case against activist Rick Toledo for his direct involvement in the student encampments and his victorious legal efforts to release his fellow protesters.

“I saw firsthand through my own university in Humboldt what professors go through in losing their jobs or coming under fear of deportation, and I want to thank Dr. Sang Hea Kil for what she is doing,” McCann stated.

NAACP-SJ President Sean Allen called out SJSU for spraying dirty water on student encampments which is, under the legal definition in California, assault and battery. “This case was never just about one professor,” Allen remarked. “It was about whether a public university can punish people, especially people of color, queer people and Muslim faculty and students for speaking out on matters of conscience.”

Allen continued, “This is not an isolated case. The NAACP had received at least two other complaints involving SJSU describing a consistent pattern: When people who support Palestinian rights, or who are Muslim or the Islamic faith speak out, they face extreme punishment. Why was one group subjugated and not treated equal as opposed to the other group?”

This is the question of the day, as the genocide continues under a nominal ceasefire, which has seen over 1000 Palestinians killed by Zionist forces, and the violence now encompasses the broader Middle East with the U.S.-Israeli wars of aggression against Iran and Lebanon.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #StudendMovement #SJSU #Palestine

California City, CA — On Saturday, June 13, San Francisco Bay Area immigrant rights organizations gathered in San Jose for a car caravan to California City Detention Center, as part of the Legalization For All Network (L4A)’S National Weekend of Action Against Immigrant Detention Centers.

Under the rallying cry, “Free our people, free them all,” demonstrators called for the immediate release of detained community members, including Guillermo Medina Reyes—a beloved Bay Area tattoo artist and organizer—and Kubanych Moldobaev, a cherished father, community interpreter and asylum seeker from Kyrgyzstan.

Participating and supporting organizations included both the Oakland and San Jose chapters of the Community Service Organization (CSO), Raizes Collective from Santa Rosa, Amigos de Guadalupe – Center for Justice & Empowerment and Latinos United for a New America (LUNA) from San Jose, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

The caravan departed from San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Plaza around noon, heading towards the caravan’s first stop in Gilroy, California, where ICE is looking to open a new detention facility. The caravan held a brief protest there.

“We're at our first stop, 7240 Holsclaw Road, where the federal government is getting ready to open a detention center. You can see here our comrades joining us protesting and signage saying ‘warning, work in operation’, even though folks in Santa Clara County and Monterey County are adamantly opposing this. As we are standing here, we heard several cars pass by honking in support of us being here protesting this proposed detention center in Gilroy,” said Isabel Lopez from Raizes Collective.

The caravan's next stop was McFarland, where the GEO Group operates two for-profit detention centers, Central Valley Annex and Golden State Annex. The company is responsible for holding about one-third of all immigrants in ICE custody nationwide.

In 2022, Guillermo Medina Reyes was detained at Golden State Annex. During his time there, Medina Reyes organized his fellow detainees through a hunger strike and work stoppage.

“He and eight others participated in a class-action lawsuit against ICE and GEO Group for abusive conditions and retaliation. Guillermo and the other plaintiffs testified to being forced to perform facility maintenance for $1 per day or be punished with solitary confinement if they refused to do essential janitorial and operational work. That case remains pending as of January,” said one of the caravan participants.

“In June, NPR reported that all over the country people in these facilities are facing medical neglect, rotten food as their only meals, and other routine human rights abuses. Hundreds of detained individuals are currently on hunger strike at Delaney Hall, another GEO Group facility in New Jersey, to bring attention to conditions there that they have been described as pure torture,” said Liza Mam from CSO Oakland.

GEO Group has received more than $142 million to operate ICE detention facilities in Adelanto and Desert View, and over $105 million for the Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde centers, another detention facilities only 30 minutes away in Bakersfield.

During the caravan’s stop, GEO Group private security closely monitored and recorded the group.

The caravan's final stop was California City Detention Center, a for-profit facility owned by CoreCivic, the nation's second-largest private immigration detention company.

“California City is the newest facility of a cluster of detention centers in Kern County. Community members have said they did not have an opportunity to raise concerns at public hearings before ICE began using the new site. This is a concerning and growing trend all over California; concentration camps popping up in our neighborhoods with no public input or consent,” said Liza Mam from CSO Oakland.

“The conditions are completely unacceptable and inhumane,” said Brandon Cavins from Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “People are going without AC in the hot Mojave Desert. They don't have enough food, and they don't have the medical attention that they need.”

Through a video call arranged with Kubanych Moldobaev, caravan members spoke directly with detainees, who described coercive signing of deportation papers, weeks-long delays in medical care, lack of air conditioning, fainting episodes, severe weight loss, limited contact with loved ones, and detention lasting more than 19 months.

“I have been here for two months locked up, please, I need help. They’re not telling me anything. I can’t communicate with my family. I need help,” said Isaias Soto, an 18 year old from Guatemala, speaking in Spanish.

“I have diabetes. I have been here for six months, tortured, and they have given me no treatment. I suffer from high blood pressure. Every time I go to get checked up due to my high blood pressure, they never give me treatment,” said Mario Caja from Mexico, speaking in Spanish, who reportedly fainted more than five times during his detention and relies on fellow inmates for care due to CoreCivic's neglect. “It's been more than a month that I can't sleep due to hard-hitting cramps in both legs. They give me a pill, but it does nothing. I don't know what to do. I have lost like 30 pounds in weight. For me this is like torture. I am dying here. I put in requests, but they don't see me until two or three weeks later.”

“I have a little girl of five years. My wife is diabetic. We are suffering here with not that much medical treatment. I work in the kitchen. There, they mistreat me, the officials. They make me do work that really should be theirs. I work more than eight labor hours, doing work that should be theirs. The commissary has been raised too much. It's $100, which we have to use to eat here. They treat us like dogs,” said Axel Mairena-Chavarria from Nicaragua, speaking in Spanish, who has been detained for more than six months. “Honestly, it's the officials who are the dogs. Sincerely, please excuse the phrase. The food has no flavor, and when it's mealtime, [the guards] tell us, 'chow chow,' as if we were dogs.”

Around 10 p.m., CoreCivic ended the phone call for count time. The caravan prepared to leave but first drove around the facility to document its entrance and the large number of buses transporting people there. As the group approached, remaining on public roads and without entering, a CoreCivic security pickup truck with tinted windows abruptly appeared to block the entrance.

After the caravan, some participants traveled to the “No Kings” protest in Gilroy, organized by CSO San Jose, SIREN, CARAS, the San Jose Coalition Against Trump, and other local immigrant rights groups, to share the detainees’ testimonies and oppose ICE’s proposed detention facility.

Remaining caravan members stayed in California City for an additional day to visit Moldobaev. They also requested to see Guillermo Medina Reyes but were denied by CoreCivic, reportedly due to a policy allowing only one detainee visit per day, a policy strongly criticized by advocates for its dehumanizing and isolating nature, further worsened by CoreCivic's denial of family contact visits, only allowing people to see their loved ones through glass rather than permit contact. This is an issue that Medina Reyes and others have been advocating to change.

After the journey, Moldobaev sent a message to the L4A Caravan. Translated from Russian, he said, “Good morning, Liza! We were doubly pleased, and a huge thank you to all your friends for your support. Everyone in our unit was delighted with you all, grateful and touched by your gesture and attention. Our call time ended yesterday, and counting began. So many people came up to me afterward, thanking me for the opportunity to speak up for what you're doing. I told them there was no need to thank me. I'll pass on my gratitude to you. It's all you do that shows you care!”

Moldobaev continued, “So, all your friends are being warmly shaken by the hands and hugged by people who have found themselves in difficult situations. Each of them is praying to God for a miracle, and what you're doing is a miracle. Not everyone is willing to leave their cozy couch and go the distance to support people like this.”

Since the initial writing of this article, Kubanych Moldobaev has been released and returned to his family in Kyrgyzstan after months of unjust ICE detention. Moldobaev had been requesting self-deportation since his detention in October 2025, with Kyrgyzstan confirming its readiness to receive him. His nine months of detention at California City can only be attributed to the inhumane policies of ICE and CoreCivic's profit-driven desire to prolong his stay.

Detainee testimonies will be posted on the CSO Oakland social media pages.

To get involved in opposing detention centers in the Bay Area, demanding the release of Guillermo Medina Reyes and other local detainees, and fighting for immigrant rights, follow CSO Oakland, CSO San Jose, and Raizes Collective.

All three organizations are members of the Legalization for All Network, a nationwide network of over 25 grassroots organizations fighting for immigrant rights.

#CaliforniaCityCA #CA #BayArea #CSO #ImmigrantRights #DetentionCenters #Legalization4All

Sacramento, CA – On June 23, community members and organizations pushing for real sanctuary city protections showed up to city hall to demand substantial improvements to the existing Sanctuary City Framework. They cited the current policy having no binding restrictions on Sacramento Police Department and ICE collaboration.

The Sacramento City Council held two votes. The first vote was on their “Community Immigration Action Plan” (CIAP), an outline for the city to follow when approaching their immigrant-related programs and policies; and the second vote was around transforming a recently developed resolution that restricts the city from allowing public property to be used by federal agencies, including ICE.

A previous agenda item had bled well beyond its intended ending time, causing the council chambers to delay opening up until 5:43 p.m., almost 45 minutes past the intended start time. By the time the CIAP and ordinance voting meeting was open, attendees were angry. Adding to constituents’ frustrations, the council decided during the meeting to combine both items into one, effectively cutting public comment in half, causing the community to scurry in order to condense their prepared comments.

The presentations were interrupted by regular outbursts from community members. There was verbal pushback to the claim that police were not colluding with DHS/ICE at the John Moss Federal Building. The mayor called for order several times throughout and warned attendees the council would meet in private if community members didn’t keep quiet during the presentations.

Speakers during the public comment section called the action plan “political theatre” and “performative.” AJ Albano, an organizer from Decarcerate Sacramento stated, “The only mention of enforcement in this document is the city excusing itself of liability from civil and criminal lawsuits, if the ordinance is not followed.” They went on to say, “While it is true we asked for an ordinance, it’s as if you wrote this, in such a way, to prove to us just how ineffective an ordinance could actually be.”

In addition, Councilmember Vang spoke to the city attorney and deputy chief of police about the data sharing practices and scope of Sac PD’s involvement at the federal building. The city attorney claimed that there was largely nothing to be done about federal agencies using Sacramento’s stored data because the existing policy does not permit it to share data in the first place, contradicting Sac PD’s voluntary participation in the Joint Federal Terrorism Task Force. This point was largely echoed by the deputy chief of police, despite the fact that, earlier that same day, a representative of the police department admitted that the department does, in fact, share data with ICE.

The council chambers was cleared when members of the audience erupted with their own personal experiences of police collusion at the federal building, even prompting some councilmembers to leave the chambers before order was called. Those speaking were quickly joined with a wave of disapproving exclamations directed towards the council for ignoring their constituents and voting on an unpopular version of the proposals in private.

#SacramentoCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Oakland, CA — On Tuesday, June 16, over 50 people gathered in person and via Zoom to support Guillermo Medina Reyes at his Mental Health Diversion Court hearing in Alameda County.

Medina is a Bay Area tattoo artist and longtime organizer for the rights of detained immigrants and incarcerated people, having organized hunger and labor strikes during his detention at Golden State Annex in McFarland, California from 2021 to 2023.

“I'm here today at the courthouse in Alameda in support of Guillermo, who has been detained by ICE,” said Trancita Ponce from Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, who has been supporting Medina since her release in 2024 after serving 25 years of incarceration.

“I met him about a year and a half ago. We were doing a solidarity tattoo, and he came and tattooed me, my freedom tattoo. He was the nicest, most genuine guy. He has come up against a lot of struggles and adversities. For him to be detained by ICE is another struggle. We stand here today in solidarity and for him to know that he is not alone. He is supported by a community, friends and family who are not going to give up on him. Free Guillermo!”

Advocates urged the court to keep Medina’s case within mental health diversion during his time at CoreCivic's for-profit California City Detention Center. They emphasized that he has consistently met his treatment requirements – despite ongoing obstacles from ICE, including the last-minute cancellation of his legal call to attend the hearing.

In response, his team quickly arranged a workaround by setting up a separate call with Medina on speakerphone while attending the hearing via Zoom, as supporters filled the courtroom. This allowed Guillermo to attend his own hearing, despite the barriers imposed by ICE and CoreCivic.

“He was able to listen in. He wasn't able to join virtually directly on the screen, in part because I feel like the facility has been flagging him directly and retaliating because of the organizing he's doing inside. And they canceled our call. So, there was no legal call for him to be able to actually see the screen and see who is in the courtroom. So, other injustices we continue fighting on a daily basis along the way,” said Esperanza Cuautle from Pangea Legal Services and CSO Oakland.

Members of Medina 's campaign stressed the importance of keeping the case in mental health diversion, where Guillermo could see his case dismissed by continuing treatment. If transferred to criminal court, he would not be given the same flexibility and would face the near-certain risk of a warrant for failing to appear at a hearing he physically cannot attend – due to already being in state custody at ICE and CoreCivic's for-profit detention center.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Elisa Della-Piana sided with Medina 's request and positively acknowledged the dedication and efforts of his advocacy team in ensuring his presence at the hearing despite the challenges from the federal government and the private prison company.

The ruling sets a powerful precedent in Alameda County, allowing undocumented individuals to access mental health diversion, where they can receive proper treatment and potentially have their cases dismissed. That stands in stark contrast to a transfer to criminal court, which would only benefit Trump's deportation agenda and private prison companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic – companies that gain billions in profit from family separation, medical neglect, and detainee labor.

In 2025, CoreCivic reported over $2.2 billion in revenue. Of that amount, $130 million came from their California City Detention Center, where Medina and over 1600 people are currently being held.

“Say ‘no’ to this unjust system that criminalizes, deports, and separates our families,” said Danny Celaya from CSO Oakland. “California City Detention Center alone makes CoreCivic $130 million in profit off our loved ones. Shame. But Guillermo is a fighter, a luchador. It's our responsibility to stand with him and with everyone in immigrant detention centers. Free them all!”

Organizations that attended the hearing in support of Guillermo include Pangea Legal Services, Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition, SIREN, Amigos de Guadalupe – Center for Justice & Empowerment, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, CSO San Jose, CSO Oakland, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

#OaklandCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #ImmigrantRights

San Jose, CA – On a June 25, in front of the Dr. MLK Jr. Library, hundreds of union city workers gathered for a rally to continue their fight for a decent contract with the city of San Jose. The workers are organized with IFPTE Local 21 and AFSCME Local 101, also known as the Municipal Employee’s Federation (MEF).

Workers held blue picket signs reading, “San Jose first,” “Invest in people,” and “Invest in affordability.”

Alyssa Grondahl of MEF spoke about how the city has been deprioritizing its workers, saying, “While city leadership talks about deficits and the challenges of the city budget, us workers are facing astronomical gas prices, skyrocketing housing costs, rising utility bills, and increasing workloads due to vacancies, removal of vacant positions, and general understaffing. The city keeps moving ahead with large projects and asking us to do more with less.”

Grondahl continued, “We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for fair wages, safe working conditions, and a contract that recognizes the value of the people who open and close this library every day.”

Mary Morse of IFPTE Local 21 brought attention to the city’s unfair “best and final” offer for their contract and how the union still wants to negotiate. Morse stated, “We are still at the bargaining table eager to keep negotiating in good faith, but that best and final offer is take it or leave it. Do we accept that? Hell no!”

The executive director of the South Bay Labor Council, Jean Cohen, also gave words of encouragement to the rallying workers.

The union members began a picket walk as the speaker program finished, chanting, “We are the union, the mighty, mighty union” and “When workers are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

The union members present pledged to vote yes on a strike authorization vote.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor