Los Angeles, CA – On June 3, Centro CSO held a press conference at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights demanding that the state keep its hands off Nadia Topete. On May 20, Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO, was served a subpoena by the FBI demanding that she testifies in front of a grand jury. She did not appear at the grand jury proceedings, which were set for the same day.

Press conference organizers state, “Nadia bravely refused to rat on her fellow activists who did nothing wrong, risking serious jail time. Cases of blatant political repression like this one have continued to intensify in the wake of Trump’s racist, reactionary agenda. Nadia Topete’s determination is a strong example of the people’s refusal to back down.”

At the press conference, Centro CSO member Verita Topete, Nadia’s sister and herself a victim of FBI repression, led attendees in chants of “When we fight, we win!”

“Our enemies are trying to find ways to attack us, but we won’t stand down. This is a fight we are willing to take. We will win,” said Henry Cornejo, a Teamster at UPS and member of Centro CSO.

Carlos Montes, a longtime Chicano activist and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization who has experienced political repression over the decades, said, “Federal grand juries have been used by the Trump administration to go after immigrant rights activists. We are united to denounce the use of the grand jury and the FBI by the Trump administration and the U.S. Attorney’s office to harass and intimidate activists who oppose Trump’s attacks on our immigrant community.”

In order to support Topete, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression is requesting donations: tinyurl.com/csfrdonate.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #CentroCSO #NadiaTopete #Featured

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Nadia Topete, immigrants' rights activist in Los Angeles, refused to testify in front of a grand jury. Because of this, she could be arrested and held in jail for an unknown period of time. The CSFR calls on all supporters to, on Monday, June 8, call into the offices of the US Attorney Bilal Essayli and Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat, to say, “Hands Off Nadia!”

While we don't know why Nadia Topete was subpoenaed, we know that she was part of the 2025 anti-ICE uprisings in LA. Grand juries result in indictments nine times out of ten and are tools of political repression. Refusing to testify is a heroic act that every person of conscience should look at as a model for what to do if you are ever summoned to a grand jury. She, like everyone else in that movement, did nothing wrong and should be able to walk free.

Call in on Monday, 6/8! Hands Off Nadia Topete!

When: June 8, Monday, from 9am to 5pm PDT

Who: call both

1. Bilal Essayli, US Attorney Central District Office Line @ (714) 338-3500, press 0

2. Assistant US Attorney Michael Wheat @ (619) 557-5610

Script:

“I am [NAME] calling from [STATE] and I demand that Nadia Topete not be arrested for refusing to testify in front of a grand jury. She did nothing wrong, committed no crime, and we will stand with her against any kind of repression. Hands Off Nadia Topete!”

#InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #NadiaTopete #Featured

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

On May 20, Nadia Topete was visited by two FBI agents and served a subpoena demanding that she testify in front of a grand jury on June 3. Even now, it is not known why she is being subpoenaed; all we know is that she is an immigrants rights activist and an outspoken political Chicana organizer. She refused to go and testify, the penalty to which can be prison time without a known end date. Topete is a hero who stood with the people and the movement at a potentially huge cost to herself and her freedom. We in the Committee to Stop FBI Repression say, “Hands Off!” and we will fight any attempt to jail her, tooth and nail.

Grand juries, nine times out of ten, result in indictments. They do not permit the person being questioned to be in the room with a lawyer, nor to present a defense of any kind, nor even any witnesses. There would have been nothing but Topete and the prosecutors interrogating her and looking for somebody to indict. The result of refusing to go is often jailtime without knowing when you would get out. She did the right, brave thing by saying no. Every activist reading this statement needs to learn from her example.

Topete did nothing wrong. Neither did the other members of the activist group she is in, Centro CSO in Los Angeles, who were charged by the federal government after their participation in the anti ICE uprising in Los Angeles in 2025, such as Alejandro Orellana whose charges were dropped. They did nothing wrong either. We view this as a political attack on activists in Los Angeles, and we say a loud, resounding “No!” to political repression. We say, “Hands Off Nadia Topete!” We will do whatever it takes to defend her, a true daughter of Aztlán.

#InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #NadiaTopete #ImmigrantRights #CentroCSO #CSFR #Featured