Los Ángeles, CA – La noche del lunes 26 de octubre, más de 30 chicanos marcharon hacia la estación del Departamento del Alguacil del Este de Los Ángeles para denunciar la colaboración entre ICE y los alguaciles del Este de Los Ángeles. En California y en el condado de Los Ángeles existen leyes y políticas que se supone limitan y prohíben la colaboración entre la policía local y los agentes federales de ICE.

Solo en octubre, al menos tres personas han sido secuestradas por agentes enmascarados del ICE a solo unos pies de la estación del Departamento del Alguacil del Este de Los Ángeles por el lago del Parque Belvedere. También han circulado videos en línea que muestran a agentes enmascarados del ICE apostados en un estacionamiento justo enfrente de la estación del alguacil.

Esta colaboración forma parte de la “Operación California Segura”, la ofensiva de control migratorio de 45 días lanzada por ICE y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.

La protesta fue organizada por Centro CSO y comenzó con un programa de oradores de Centro CSO, la Coalición Check the Sheriff y la Red de Derechos de los Inmigrantes de Boyle Heights.

Brianna Mosqueda, del Comité de Inmigración de CSO, le dijo a la multitud: “Estamos aquí juntos como grupo, como Centro CSO, y no nos vamos a ir a ningún lado, estamos aquí para exigir que el Departamento del Alguacil del Este de Los Ángeles deje de colaborar con ICE”.

Emiliano Martín Del Campo, del Comité de Rendición de Cuentas Policial de CSO, declaró: “El pueblo tiene derecho a saber cómo se vigila nuestra comunidad, quién lo hace y cómo se utilizan nuestros recursos. Esta clara colaboración entre ICE y los alguaciles tiene que detenerse de inmediato para proteger a nuestra comunidad de más daño”.

Verita Topete, presidenta del Comité de Inmigración de Centro CSO, dijo: “Durante generaciones, Raza en Aztlán ha vivido bajo un sistema que nos criminaliza por un lado y nos persigue para deportarnos por el otro. La violencia policial y la represión del ICE trabajan juntas para controlar y silenciar a nuestro pueblo. ¡Esto es opresión nacional, y nos negamos a aceptarla!”.

Después del programa, la comunidad marchó hacia la estación del Alguacil del Este de Los Ángeles. Los manifestantes coreaban: “¡La migra, la policía, la misma porquería!”

Los manifestantes atravesaron la cinta amarilla que los alguaciles colocaron para impedir el acceso a la estación, la cual se supone que está abierta al público. Los agentes del alguacil cerraron rápidamente las puertas de la estación al acercarse la multitud de chicanos enfurecidos, quienes comenzaron a corear consignas y a golpear las puertas de vidrio.

Quienes estuvieron presentes dijeron que los agentes del alguacil harán todo lo posible para detener la protesta, pero que esos mismos agentes voltean la cara cuando agentes enmascarados del ICE secuestran a raza afuera en el parque público. La protesta concluyó con los organizadores diciéndoles a la gente que se apuntaran en la mesa y siguieran involucrados. Para estar al día, asegúrense de seguir a Centro CSO en todas las redes sociales.

Actualización: En la mañana del 31 de octubre, otra persona fue secuestrada por ICE tras ser liberada de la custodia del departamento del alguacil, una clara señal de que existe una colaboración continua entre los alguaciles de Los Ángeles y el ICE.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #DerechosDeLosInmigrantes #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On November 1, Centro CSO members handed out know your rights leaflets during a Dia De Los Muertos Cultural event at Belvedere Park Lake. There have been many ICE kidnappings at Belvedere Park Lake in the past couple months.

On the morning of November 1, an unmarked car with two ICE agents was forced to leave after being confronted by Chicanos who spotted the agents parked in the middle of an LA County public parking lot.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna now confirms that multiple people have been taken by ICE after being released from the jail at East Los Angeles Sheriff's Station. The masked ICE agents have been seen parked directly in front of the sheriff's station, lying in wait. Many videos have shown ICE agents chasing people through the park, terrorizing the surrounding residents of East LA.

This escalated activity comes during ICE surge “Operation Safe California” which began in San Diego on October 1.

Verita Topete, co-chair of Centro CSO’s immigration committee, stated, “We’re living under constant repression from ICE, and we can’t afford to sit back when our community needs us. This is when we need to show up for our people.”

During the barrio walk, the LA sheriffs came out of the station and put up a perimeter with yellow tape and parked their cars up front, basically closing the station to the public.

Mayra Plascenia of Centro CSO stated, “Protecting our barrio is not a crime, it's a must here in East LA. The East LA sheriff's station can't protect us, but they're protecting ICE! ”

The attendees of the Dia De Los Muertos event were receptive and the organizers of the event thanked Centro CSO for being there providing Know Your Rights information and an extra layer of security against ICE.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On October 2 – 4, Over 100 progressives, activists and community members attended the Left Coast Forum at California State University, Los Angeles.

The Left Coast forum was a weekend of panels and workshops led by grassroot organizations, authors, and members of teacher unions. The Legalization 4 All Network (L4A) had a panel on the final day of the forum.

Members of Centro CSO (Los Angeles), CSO Orange County, and Aurora Unidos CSO spoke about their firsthand experiences with political repression, and the local campaigns they are currently working on as members of the Legalization for All Network.

Speakers included Verita Topete of Centro CSO, Yosselin Corrales of Aurora Unidos CSO, Diana Terreros of CSO Orange County, with moderation done by Marisol Marquez Co-Chair of L4A network

Diana Terreros, spoke on their campaign to organize tenants at Kingsley Mobile Home Park, many who are undocumented, stating, “The manager of the park, Olivia Garcia, has threatened to call ICE on some of the residents, so they use these tactics to silence the residents.”

Yoselin Corrales stated, “ICE is just one branch of a really broken system and so abolishing ICE isn't going to fix the problem because something else will just come in and replace it so we need to abolish the system that criminalizes immigrants.”

Corrales and others in Aurora Unidos CSO were recently successful in getting state charges dropped against them for protesting at Colorado's ICE Field Office.

Verita Topete spoke on their next steps to get ICE out of White Memorial Hospital, “We're going to be putting up tear-off flyers that have our phone number inside the hospital.” The hope is that this next step will allow Raza to find their loved ones.

To get into the fight for Legalization 4 All, follow Legalization 4 All on Instagram and join one of the monthly meetings.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #L4A #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On September 15, over 50 residents of Los Angeles attended a board of supervisors meeting to demand the BOS take action to ban deputy gangs in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. African American and Chicano families impacted by deputy gangs mobilized to speak in favor of the motion.

Supervisor Holly J. Mitchel of District 2 authored the motion that attempted to hold the Los Angeles County Sheriffs accountable for their deputy gang problem. The motion called for “Identifying Deputy Gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to Ensure Accountability and Risk Mitigation.” The motion would require the sheriff’s department to create a comprehensive framework for identifying and naming deputy gangs.

Impacted families, Centro CSO and Justice LA organized for weeks prior to pressure the LA Board of Supervisors to approve this motion that included language that bans racist deputy gang logos, such as the Fort Apache logo at the East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Before the hearing, Justice LA organized a press conference where impacted family members spoke out about the abuse and deaths caused by deputy gang members in LA County’s Men’s Central Jail and on the streets by LA County Sheriffs.

Before public comments were heard, Sheriff Robert Luna spoke for over an hour against this motion, and so greatly limited the time the people were given. Over 50 people, largely African American and Chicano, spoke unanimously in favor of the motion.

In the end, the board of supervisors, except for Supervisor Mitchell, voted to bifurcate the motion and postpone a vote on it for a period of 45 days. This is a clear attempt by the board to shield Sheriff Luna against bad publicity.

Cindy Nunez, sister of Francisco Nunez, stated, “Today was deeply disappointing. After asking our county leaders to confront the issue of deputy gangs, I watched the board bifurcate Mitchell’s motion and push this conversation beyond next month’s [sheriff’s] election. For families like mine, this is not a political talking point or an agenda item that can simply be moved down the calendar. We are real families living with the consequences of what happens when accountability is delayed.”

Vanessa Perez, mother of Joseph Perez, stated, “It says a lot when a supervisor can recognize deputy gangs and not just us community members. It’s too bad that the other supervisors wanted to delay it but you know it’s a little rock in the path, you know. It’s an ulterior motive for the election.

Janet Asante, with Dignity & Power Now, said, “This motion wasn’t even that radical. All it asks is that the sheriff department identify deputy gangs within its ranks, not even its members. The fact is that the board would rather wait and strategically push it to after the election. They are playing political games, and meanwhile people are dying.”

This decision by the LA Board of Supervisors shows that the power should not be in the hands of the politicians, it should be in the hands of the people in the form of community control of police, which is a demand Centro CSO upholds. If you want to stay up to date with Centro CSO’s fight for police accountability, follow them on socials @CentroCSO.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On Monday, September 7, Los Angeles Police Department officers shot a 44-year-old Chicano man named Zimran Canas in Boyle Heights. LAPD claimed Zimran was holding a tree trimming tool and walked towards the police officers. LAPD, like most police departments, is known to lie and try to villainize who they kill in an attempt to cover up their murders.

Centro CSO members mobilized to the area after the shooting in an attempt to talk to family members and neighbors. Some neighbors directly contradict the claims made by LAPD; a witness said they did not see LAPD officers offer any medical attention to Zimran Canas.

This makes it at least 21 Chicanos shot in Boyle Heights by LAPD Hollenbeck Division since 2015, with many of those shot being killed. Centro CSO has been on the ground in Boyle Heights fighting back against police killings, alongside the impacted families.

Derek Mejia, chair of Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, was on the ground, “It’s important for us to be out here connecting with impacted families. We see time and time again that LAPD responds to mental health crises with excessive force, and they immediately get to work creating a narrative that works for them and not the victims or their families. We will continue to demand answers on what happened to Zimran Canas, and we will demand justice alongside the family.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #KillerCop #Police #CentroCSO #Chicano #ZimranCanas #BoyleHeights #EastLA

Los Angeles, CA – On August 29, 250 community members gathered at Mariachi Plaza to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. Over 30 organizations and small businesses joined the celebration, which included a folklorico dance, rap performance, speakers and free food. Carlos Montes, longtime Chicano revolutionary, was the keynote speaker.

The Chicano Moratorium was the largest anti-war protest of Chicano people. It took to the streets of East Los Angeles in 1970. Fifty-six years later, it is now celebrated as Chicano Liberation Day.

Speaking on the demand of Chicano self-determination, Marisol Marquez of FRSO said, “We need to have a revolution in this country. Led by us. We need to take by force what is ours and use it in a way that is best for our Raza.”

“We deserve to have direct democratic control over who polices our communities and how,” said Derek Mejia, Centro CSO's Police Accountability Committee chair.

Speaking to the demand of “Legalization for all,” Verita Topete stated, “Fifty-six years later, we carry that struggle forward. Because our liberation cannot stop at the border, and our solidarity cannot stop at citizenship. If we are serious about Chicano self-determination, then we have to fight alongside the immigrant working class.”

Chaeho of NODUTDOL closed the program, saying, “As anti-imperialist Koreans, it is our duty to stand in firm solidarity with our Chicano comrades against U.S. imperialist war and aggression and for the liberation of all oppressed peoples of the world. We honor the martyrs Rubén Salazar, Lyn Ward and Angel Díaz. May our movements and all working people of the world stand together to demand an end to U.S. imperialism here and everywhere.”

Nodutdol is a Korean organization based in the U.S. and Canada, organizing against U.S. military bases, and for Korea’s reunification and national liberation.

The Chicano Moratorium was planned and organized by a united front of Chicano grass roots organizations and labor unions. For more photos and videos check out “Chicano.Moratorium” on Instagram.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #ChicanoMoratorium #CentroCSO #Feature

Los Angeles, CA – The start of the new school year brought good news in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). At the Breed Street, 2nd Street and Eastman Avenue Elementary Schools, Extera charter school has finally moved out.

For years, Extera charter school had occupied space inside the three schools. This co-location status led to Extera taking over classrooms, libraries, auditoriums and playgrounds during the school day, forcing out the public school students and staff. This also led to lower enrollment in public schools.

Centro CSO has organized against charter schools in the Chicano neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and East LA, as charters are seen as an attack on public education, with corporations trying to privatize public schools.

Antonieta Garcia, Centro CSO co-chair of the Education Committee, stated, “We must protect and keep on advocating for public education. This was a great victory for parents, students and the community!”

This practice of allowing charter schools to occupy space within existing public schools is the result of California Proposition 39, a state law initiated by the charter school lobby which requires school districts to make facilities (including both classroom and non-classroom spaces) available to charter schools that serve students who reside in the district. This led to the growth of charter schools, especially in poor, working-class Black and Chicano communities. Charter schools are non-union and are known to be selective in student enrollment.

This co-location led to enrollment decline and many scheduling problems in local schools. The charter schools were also supposed to pay rent for use of the LAUSD public facilities, but many did not.

Due to these problems, people have been holding protests for years at Extera board meetings to get them out. Most of the Extera board members had no history or background in East LA area communities.

In 2025, Extera attempted to buy an old church in East LA with the plan to build a new charter school. Centro CSO and Eastside Padres organized a successful campaign to stop this construction, which resulted in LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis making a motion at the board of supervisors meeting to deny the building permit. This campaign re-energized the community to continue opposing Extera co-locations.

Centro CSO later visited Breed Street, 2nd Street and Eastman Elementary Schools, encouraging parents and staff to oppose Extera, and suggested parent re-enroll their children in the public schools.

Extera finally announced in early 2026 its intent to close and transfer any remaining students to the Green Dot Animo Ellen Ochoa charter school.

Josie Reyes, a parent of students at Eastman Avenue school, stated, “We won against the co-location of Extera and stopped them from growing. Thanks to the Eastman Ave School teachers, parents, UTLA, Centro CSO and Eastside Padres.”

August 2026 saw the final evacuation of Extera.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #Education #PublicSchool #Teachers #CentroCSO