Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 30, approximately 70 community members gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium. People chanted, “Chicana! Power! Chicano! Power!” as the event kicked off.
Emcee Diana Terreros of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) stated, “Especially today as Trump’s attacks on Raza have started and will continue throughout his term, we are here to demand ICE out of Santa Ana, justice for Noe Rodriguez, community control of the police, legalization for all, ending U.S. aid to Israel, and more!”
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, July 25, about 20 protesters gathered on the corner of Bristol and 1st Streets, chanting “Healthcare is our right, try and take it, we will fight!” and “Y la migra? Fuera!” The protesters were answering the national call to action by the Legalization for All Network against Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”.
Santa Ana, CA – On Thursday, July 3, community members and local activists rallied in front of the Santa Ana Federal Building. They demanded U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli drop the charges against immigrant rights activist Alejandro Orellana. They also called for “Hands off Verita Topete!” another activist with Centro CSO who was targeted by the FBI.
“When activists are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” chanted the fiery crowd.
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, June 27, approximately 200 people came out for a vigil for Narciso Barranco, who was brutally assaulted and kidnapped by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Santa Ana on June 21.
The assault happened while Barranco was working outside of an IHOP where he had been hired to do landscaping work. Unidentifiable masked men chased Barranco then held him face down on pavement while one of the federal agents repeatedly punched him on his head. Barranco can be heard on video footage screaming, with horrified onlookers shouting, “Why are you hitting him?”
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday June 27, about a dozen family members and Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) activists held a press conference inside of the OC Superior Court to demand justice for Imanol Salvador Gonzalez.
Gonzalez was a resident of Santa Ana and only 19 years old when he was killed by off-duty LAPD officer Carlos Coronel on February 1. According to a statement released by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, officer Coronel was driving through the city of Tustin after a night of heavy drinking when he struck Gonzalez with his pickup truck.
Santa Ana, CA – On June 27, activists and community members waved signs on the corner of Flower Street and Civic Center Drive near the Central Justice Center chanting, “Drop the charges now!” and holding signs reading, “Protesting is not a crime!”
Santa Ana, CA – On Tuesday, June 17, hundreds of Santaneros packed the first city council meeting since the ICE raids and National Guard presence began. The anger and energy were palpable as residents booed Mayor Valerie Amezcua as she entered the council chambers. They held signs that said, “ICE out of Santa Ana” and “Justice for Noe Rodriguez.”
Santa Ana, CA – On Monday, June 9, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began raiding multiple locations across the city of Santa Ana and the surrounding Orange County. ICE was seen arresting day laborers at many Home Depot locations, people at fast food restaurants, bus stops, car washes and more.
Community organizations like the OC Rapid Response Network responded immediately, calling for a protest at the Santa Ana United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field office where those arrested were being taken to. Protesters shouted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at ICE agents surrounding the building holding non-lethal weapons and playing an automated message on a megaphone telling protesters to stay off the property.
Santa Ana, CA – El 1 de junio, unos 25 residentes de Santa Ana, familiares y organizadores se reunieron para honrar la vida de Noé Rodríguez y exigir justicia. La vigilia, seis meses después de su muerte, ocurrió frente a Casa Linda Furniture en el centro de Santa Ana, a pocos metros de donde los oficiales Luis Casillas e Isaac Ibarra asesinaron a Rodríguez.
Una mesa con dos ramos de flores blancas, 20 velas y dibujos de las dos hijas de Rodríguez marcó el lugar de su muerte para que la comunidad de Santa Ana pudiera admirarla. Varios asistentes se vistieron con playeras blancas decoradas con fotografías de Noé Rodríguez.
Santa Ana, CA – On June 3, nine Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) members and supporters delivered public comments at Santa Ana’s city council meeting to demand justice for Noe Rodriguez. The attendees included two members of Noe Rodriguez’s family, including Erika Armenta, Rodriguez’s wife and mother of his two daughters, and Rodriguez’s sister. Many attending wore shirts designed by Armenta that included portraits of Rodriguez, and all held signs that displayed his killers – Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra.
Santa Ana, CA – On June 1, about 25 Santa Ana residents, family members and organizers gathered to honor Noe Rogriguez’s life and demand justice. The vigil, six months from the date of his death, took place in front of Casa Linda Furniture in downtown Santa Ana, just feet away from where Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra killed Rodriguez.
Santa Ana, CA – On Friday, May 30, chants of “ICE out of Santa Ana!” were heard on the corner of Dyer and Hotel Terrace, where about 20 community members gathered to protest the recent ICE detainments of immigrants attending their hearings at the nearby courthouse.
Santa Ana, CA – El martes 20 de mayo, cerca de 20 miembros de la comunidad y activistas llenaron la sala del ayuntamiento para exigir transparencia al Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) sobre las alertas recibidas de ICE. También exigieron el encarcelamiento de los asesinos de Noe Rodríguez.
Santa Ana, CA – El domingo 18 de mayo, cerca de 30 miembros de la comunidad marcharon hacia el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) para exigir el encarcelamiento de los oficiales Luis Casillas y Isaac Ibarra por el asesinato de Noe Rodríguez y que SAPD haga públicas de inmediato todas las alertas de ICE y DHS que reciba.
La Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) obtuvo de forma independiente los nombres y las imágenes de las cámaras corporales de los oficiales que asesinaron a Noe Rodríguez mediante una solicitud de la Ley de Registros Públicos, ya que esta información nunca se compartió con la familia de Rodríguez. En esos videos se puede ver que el oficial Casillas disparó a Rodríguez 18 veces y el oficial Ibarra le disparó 11 veces.
Santa Ana, CA – On Tuesday, May 20, about 20 community members and activists filled the city council chambers to demand transparency from Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) regarding alerts they have received from ICE. They also called for the jailing of Noe Rodriguez’s killers.
An article from journalist Ben Camacho published earlier this month revealed that SAPD received notifications from ICE/DHS that they would be present in the city at least 42 times since Trump’s inauguration. SAPD did not share this information with the public, despite being asked by council members and police oversight commissioners multiple times about communications with ICE. An item was presented at the city council meeting to implement a policy requiring SAPD to disclose these ICE alerts to residents.
Santa Ana, CA – On Sunday, May 18, about 30 protesters marched on the Santa Ana Police Department to demand the jailing of officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra for the murder of Noe Rodriguez and for SAPD to immediately make public any ICE and DHS alerts they receive.
Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) independently obtained the names and body camera footage of the officers who killed Noe Rodriguez through a Public Records Act Request since this information was never shared with the family of Rodriguez. In that footage it can be seen that officer Casillas shot Rodriguez 18 times and officer Ibarra shot him 11 times.
Santa Ana, CA – About 25 people gathered on the afternoon of May 3, at Community Service Organization Orange County’s (CSO OC) May Day teach-in in downtown Santa Ana. Steph Dorantes introduced the event: “We are excited to have you here together for International Workers Day so we can strengthen our understanding of how we are impacted by police in our communities and how we are impacted by immigration status and what we can do to fight back against repression.”
Santa Ana, CA – Chants of “No hate, no fear! Immigrants are welcome here!” resounded on the afternoon of May 1 as roughly 300 protesters took to the streets of downtown. The march commemorated International Workers Day. Those in the streets lifted handmade monarch butterfly puppets and signs demanding police accountability, justice for immigrants, and protection for workers’ rights. The event program featured speakers who talked about the history of May Day and the oppression of workers.
Santa Ana, CA – El 18 de marzo, más de 45 personas se reunieron en el Centro Cultural de México y marcharon media milla hasta el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana junto con la familia de Noé Rodríguez para protestar por su injusto asesinato.
Santa Ana, CA – On March 18, over 45 people gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico and marched half a mile to the Santa Ana Police Department with the family of Noe Rodriguez to protest his unjust killing.
