Community members in Ontario plan to pack the city council meeting on Tuesday to call for protections for undocumented immigrants in response to the Mayor’s comments about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city.
A 14-year-old girl asked the council at the June 17 meeting if they planned to alleviate concerns residents have had over immigration enforcement in the city. Mayor Paul Leon told the girl the media was spreading fear and that she had nothing to worry about.
“I’m hispanic. She’s hispanic. They’re hispanic. I don’t walk in fear,” he said. “Even though I know some people are.”
Leon said he believes people will be fine as long as they’re peaceful.
“I'm not getting profiled just for being around,” Leon continued. “I think that we've seen some instances on television where maybe people should have been a little bit more peaceful themselves. And if things get out of control here, we have to respond, but they haven't.”
Tina Silva, who is with the Greater Ontario Democratic club, says they want the council to designate Ontario as a sanctuary city and bar ICE from entering city buildings like libraries and community centers.
“We want the city to end all collaboration with ICE, designate all city buildings as sensitive locations and issue clear protocols to keep them out,” Silva said, “and partner with local organizations to share immigrant resources on the city website and in public spaces.”
Silva says she’s hoping for a good turnout at tomorrow’s meeting, but says people in Ontario are afraid. “They think that the city council has the authority to get them arrested,” she said. “That's how scared they are.”
Leon did not respond to KVCR’s request for comment, but told Fox LA his comments at the meeting were meant to calm his constituents.
“My sincere intention was to assure [the 14-year-old girl], and everyone, that Ontario is safe for all of our residents and visitors,” said Leon in his prepared statement. “At the time of my statement, ICE agents had not conducted any raids or made any arrests in the city of Ontario.”
The Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ) confirmed in a social media post that there was an ICE operation conducted in Ontario off Mission Boulevard and Palmetto Avenue on June 25.
Groups like IC4IJ and the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, also criticized Mayor Leon.
“To deny what’s happening is dangerous and only adds to the harm,” IC4IJ said in a post.
