Público oblitera a Amezcua; le dice que apoye, dimita o sea destituido

A marathon public comment session spanning over five hours turned into an obliterating roast session at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, as over 100 residents blasted Mayor Valerie Amezcua for her perceived silence and inaction during recent ICE raids that still leaves much of the city gripped with fear.

Tensions were already high before the Council meeting even officially started — which, in typical fashion, began 37 minutes late. But what wasn’t typical was what happened just before the meeting was ordered.

Taina Lopez, a Santanera community activist and descendant of Chicano leader Nativo Lopez, was arrested by Santa Ana Police officers as she attempted to take a seat inside the council chambers. Officers told her the room was full, but multiple attendees pointed out several empty seats inside, including staff-reserved ones.

As Taina continued insisting she be allowed to sit, officers placed her under arrest. She was booked on charges of assaulting an officer, though multiple witnesses inside the chambers stated she never physically touched the officers during their public comments.

Speakers called for her immediate release and for the charges to be dropped (which were), describing her removal as excessive and symbolic of how dissent and advocacy continue to be criminalized in Santa Ana.

Anger dominated the chamber as residents accused Amezcua of failing to speak out while Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, among other federal agencies, conducted operations that many described as terrorizing.

https://www.facebook.com/ValerieAmezcuaForSantaAna/posts/pfbid02ygFzDBNvMeSka8giJ2yVyN11GsWvD7wDXFXUj8pWnDme5ib7sZb1GbH2bqyhVc9Wl

Amezcua’s apparent invisibilty stems from a series of events that speakers say should have warranted her presence or a non-condoning message that’d resonate with protestors and empower the undocumented Santanero community.

Congressman Lou Correa held a press conference June 10–the very next day after raids began–where Amezcua was an invite. However, she left before the presser began.

Then, a video surfaced on social media on June 11, three days after the ICE raids began, showing Mayor Valerie Amezcua at a pre-planned Downtown business owners’ social event, thanking law enforcement for protecting local businesses. It marked the second public appearance of the Mayor.

Despite eventually releasing a video statement on City social media well into Day 3 of the raids, followed by a TV interview with ABC7 the next day, many Santaneros condemned her for remaining silent during the initial days of fear — accusing her of standing on the sidelines rather than with her people.

Anna Cecilia Fierro, a Santanera attending Cornell University, torched Amezcua during her public comment.

“Right now, your constituency is asking for your transparency on what you were doing while immigrant families were being torn from their homes and off our streets," said Fierro. “Your constituency is asking you to humble yourself, to stop rolling your eyes and taking our criticism like personal attacks. You are not the victim you are a perpetuator… humble yourself.”

Among the most symbolic acts of protest came from Jay Taj, a local rapper and third-generation Santanero, who returned a certificate of recognition awarded by the City just two weeks ago.

“I can’t hold this recognition with your signature on it,” he told Mayor Amezcua, severing any perceived endorsement. “So, I came to return this to the City… you may not understand why it’s important for you to stand with us, and I’m sure this doesn’t mean anything to you for me to return [the recognition]. You said going out there, you’re not for a ‘photo-op’ but you were totally cool with taking a photo with me two weeks ago, and you don’t know a single song I’ve ever rapped.”

The mic drop moment came when Taj concluded his public comment.

I want you to remember that you standing with us means that you’re present, and right now you’re absent, and that’s the opposite of leadership.

— Ray Taj to Mayor Amezcua

Several speakers also criticized Amezcua for vilifying her own colleagues on the Council, specifically Councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, indirectly on a Facebook post June 9th, who had joined protests in solidarity with immigrant communities.

In her ABC7 interview, she said her position as Mayor isn’t for “photo-ops” and to “raise her Chicano fist pump,” repeating her advocacy for public safety and preventing property damage. It only served to infuriate the majority of Santaneros at City Hall.

Despite the overwhelming criticism throughout the five-hour public comment, only two out of more than 100 speakers rose to defend the Mayor.

John Ramirez, a common face at Council meetings and actively engaged on social media with city happenings, came to the Mayor's defense.

“The Mayor has always shown out for her community since day one,” Ramirez said. “It’s a false narrative to say she doesn’t care.”

Public speakers refused to say their comments after Amezcua took a restroom break, leaving Mayor Pro-Tem Benjamin Vazquez to temporarily take over the meeting. City Attorney Sonia Carvalho came back in after the Mayor had stepped out. Then, in a odd turn of events, Vazquez said she “didn’t want to come back.” But as the crowd began to groan, she walked back in.

She then told Vazquez that she can take a restroom break whenever, but speakers quickly reminded her that wasn’t the case.

At around 11:00 PM, the Council voted to continue the meeting, allowing for comments to continue for another hour, including nine Zoom speakers. Public comments ended at 12:03 AM after initially starting at 7:00 PM.

In the end, the Council began to put the spotlight on city staff to answer a few key questions. Councilmember Thai Viet Phan asked about the phone held with City Manager Alvaro Nuñez, City Attorney Sonia Carvalho, Police Chief Robert Rodriguez, and U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, whom had sent a letter June 6th to Carvalho advising that the City step away from enacting any ICE notifications measure, which was ultimately killed.

Nuñez confirmed that Essayli had called the City to request that Santa Ana Police “defend the federal building” because it was being “overrun.”

Phan suggested that Essayli’s message went further — implying a veiled threat. She hinted that the City was essentially given an ultimatum: either deploy SAPD to protect the building or face the arrival of the National Guard.

Even though SAPD officers were seen clearing out protesters and guarding the facility’s entry and exit gates, the National Guard still arrived later that evening, around 9:00 PM, without a formal request from the City.

Additionally, during the June 9th protest, federal immigration agents assisted SAPD in crowd control efforts (seen at 83:00 minute mark). They also asked SAPD to shift police lines, making way for federal vehicles to enter the facility. Some saw this as a direct violation of the city’s sanctuary ordinance, however, Rodriguez gave a rebuttal.

“It is not in conflict because the request is not for the assistance of the arrest or detainment of anyone for immigration status,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a request from another law enforcement agency that they need help.”

After police assisted federal agents — reportedly in good faith and with the aim of avoiding National Guard involvement — they were later, as one person leaving the meeting put it, 'thrown under the bus.'

In addition the questions, it was made clear during the meeting that:

• The City cannot order the National Guard, ICE, or any federal agency to leave the city
• The City did not call federal immigration agents/officials to come to Santa Ana

The Mayor's response

Full transcript of Mayor Amezcua's response

City Council Chambers on June 17, 2025 1:24 AM (YouTube 9:51:47)

“So I just want to thank everybody that came out tonight, and those that are watching at home, and those that came here. I heard everybody, and, um, I understood that when I ran for mayor that it was gonna be good, bad sometimes, I was gonna do things right, do things wrong. I was gonna do things people don't like, those are gonna do things people do like. But I just wanna be really clear, unequivocally, that I do not support what is happening in our city, and I never will. Um, and if I didn't respond, fast enough, my apologies. Um, I could tell you that I... I see you, I hear you. Councilmember Phan, we all thanked her.

There's nothing that I can do besides stand with my colleagues and stand with all of you, work with our elected officials at the federal level, Ask the hard questions, push back, and say, you know, ‘Help us, please help us.’ But as the mayor, I think people sometimes think, and they don't know what my role is, the city manager, the city attorney, and the city clerk, work for all seven of us up here.

Let me say that again. The city manager, the city clerk, and the city attorney work for all seven of us up here. I am one vote of seven, yes, I am the mayor, but I still need, and we've had this conversation a couple times up here, as Councilmember Penaloza, reminds me, we need the votes.

So, the chief works for our city manager, and he wasn't the chief when Councilman Hernandez was talking about a terrible thing that happened to his cousin. Chief Rodriguez was not the chief at that time. So, I want to be clear on that.

And there are so many things that are happening right now in our city, every day and across the country. It's different every day, every moment,

We are in unchartered territory. This is perhaps just the start. None of us really know who we're gonna wake up to tomorrow. But, I can tell you, as the mayor of this city, that I do not support us. I do not want the National Guard in our city.

I do want people to go to Downtown’s businesses. I do want you to feel safe in your home. I do want all those things for you. What you want, I want, when it comes to the removal of ICE. I don't want families torn apart, never have, never will.

Some of you have indicated up here, my father immigrated here as well. And, you know, our stories are all different. You know, my grandmother came here. They were all both very involved, you know, but it's really hard to—and some of you, you know, I would say, you know, run for office, to sit up here for six hours, and listen to people tell you what an awful person you are. Yeah. Yeah. I'm human.

I'm human. But I also know what I signed up for. And it's okay.

And you can tell me how you feel. That is one thing that I've always been very open about. You want to meet with me? I will meet with you.

I will listen to you. Don't yell at me, but I'll sit down and chat with you. If you're gonna scream and yell at me, or cuss at me, like, tonight, many times? No, I will not, because that's just not the way we communicate.

I got messages, you know, people were like, ‘Why are they cussing?

Why are you allowing cussing?’ ‘Using’, you know, ‘vulgar language as we're watching from home?’ That's not okay either, and I know that everybody's in fear, and I know that tensions are running high, and so that's why we did not. I did not hit the gavel tonight. I did not say, don't use that language. Basically, it was, Please, share how you feel, as long as you are not out of control. And so I thank you all for coming tonight, sharing how you feel.

I thank you for sharing about issues in your own personal life. You know, one of the Councilmembers up here made a comment about the faith base. Yes, I am a woman of faith, and I do turn to the churches, and just, like, thousands and thousands of people in our community turn to the churches when something is going on, and so, I don't want people to believe that the churches are gonna be causing problems in our city, if anything, when we met yesterday, or I think it was yesterday, at Second Baptist Church, it was talking about how we could help our community, what resources can we provide as churches and non profits coming together with, hopefully, the city. Is it food? Is it resource?

Is it an {indescible] ground service that we may need to go into? Those are the conversations that I am having with them, and so, I just want you to know, there's no—nothing I could say is going to take away your fear, and I am so sorry that we all feel this way in our city. But as the Mayor, I am responding to things, and I'm meeting with the City Manager, I talked to him on a daily basis multiple times.

You know, I'm asking questions, ‘What can we do?’ And we're known as the city that everybody watches, right? ‘What move are you making, Santa Ana, so that we could follow you?’ And that's what everybody's doing tonight. Is watching, what are we doing? And I'm very proud that, you know, the City Attorney read out today, the decision, the vote that took place, tonight [ICE notifications measure], because if we would have said, You know what, Mr. City Manager and Mr. Police Chief, you have to release information, people would have been arrested and prosecuted, and they would have just been a whole different situation up here. And so, I hear you, I saw all of you tonight, I thank you for coming out and being honest with me. Um, and sharing how you feel, and again, I want to share with you that I do not support this.

And, yes, I always say that I do serve everyone in this community, including immigrants, including the Latino community, including the API community, the African American community, and I'm sure that I've left a few out, but I do serve everybody, and to be here all night, I thank you. Um, I also want to share that, and some people will say, Well, she's being a victim. No, I'm not being a victim.

Like you, I have to protect my family. And today, my home was assaulted by somebody, um, that wanted to do harm to my family, on top of everything else that's going on. They came to my home today.

They didn't go out and protest peacefully. They didn't come here and yell at me, which I would have preferred. They came to my home, where my family is, where my three babies are that I have for the summer.

A four year old, 11 year old, and a 16 year old, who have no idea what is going on. They came to my home, so if I look a little upset today, I have a reason to be, and I feel we're going through a lot, We all are. Um, and I don't want them going to your home and pulling your family out, and I don't want anybody in my home injured, either.

And so, those of us that we say are mean, will say, ‘Well, Mayor, now you know how we feel, That's what you get.’ And those with some compassion will say, ‘Hey, homes are off limits’, just like children are off, should be off limits. Nobody should be talking about each other's children when we're in politics.

So I would just say again, I want to be very clear, because I know I'm gonna be quoted, and I'm gonna take little clips of what I say, and hopefully, it's posted the correct way [And it was by The Santanero ;) ], is that I do not support ICE. I never have. I never will. I did not ask for the National Guard to come in, as Councilmember Phan, made very clear with our questions. I have no control over them, as a Mayor, Congressman Correa has no control. The Governor has no control.

Immigration reform is very important, and I would love for all of us to focus on immigration reform. And how do we get our representatives in D.C. to, excuse me, really focus on immigration reform? That would be beneficial for millions of people.

And so, with that, I would just say, you know. Yeah, I'll just sit here for another five hours if I have to. But I, the Mayor, I, the Mayor, did not call ICE in, did not call the National Guard in. I, the mayor, cannot make them leave. I cannot. And I wish I could.

And I heard you that and clear tonight, and I'm sorry that many of our community members are going through this, and at this time, as I've always said, Santa Ana always comes together when we need each other. We always do. Councilman Bacerra talked about COVID, even though people disagreed up here, they came together during COVID, and I would hope that we would do the same up here. I really do. Because we can all point fingers and say, ‘One said this, one said that.’ I think many of us, all of us, or maybe most of us appear, guilty of that, because emotions run high.

And so thank you all for coming tonight. Those of you that were online, at home watching, those of you that stayed here all night, those of you that came out and made comments, I appreciate it, and I thank you, and I heard you loud and clear. But that, this meaning, is adjourned.”

Mayor Amezcua responded to the intense public criticism with repeated expressions of remorse and a clear stance, stating, "I do not support what is happening in our city, and I never will," and reaffirming, "I do not support ICE. I never have. I never will."

Explaining her emotional state, she revealed that someone had come to her home earlier that day, saying, "They came to my home, where my three babies are... so if I look a little upset today, I have a reason to be."

She apologized multiple times for delays in her response, saying, "If I didn't respond fast enough, my apologies," and added, "I'm sorry that many of our community members are going through this."

She also said, "There's nothing I can say that's going to take away your fear, and I am so sorry that we all feel this way in our city." She ended by thanking everyone to came, even those who shot insults, because she says

“I know what I signed up for, and it's OK.”

Commentators gave her a choice: meet them where they're at, resign on her own terms with dignity, or face a recall.

A change.org petition stands at nearly 6,000 signatures, however, no official paperwork has been filed by Santaneros to formally recall Amezcua.

Councilmember's response

Watch the video below to watch the Councilmember's response (8:30:41).