Pasadena Mayor’s Office Uses City Seal in Unofficial Immigration Statement

OPINION

A letter sent by Field Representative for Mayor Gordo used the official City of Pasadena Seal on a personal joint statement (Photo – Graphics Dept.)

A letter sent by Vannia De La Cuba, Field Representative for Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, has sparked concerns due to the use of the official City of Pasadena Seal on a joint statement issued by local elected officials on June 12, 2025. The letter addresses federal immigration actions and the community’s response, but it was not an official City-issued communication.

By Rena Kurlander

The letter, signed by Mayor Victor Gordo, Vice Mayor Jessica C. Rivas, and several members of the Pasadena City Council, emphasized the City’s commitment to immigrant rights and safety, while also criticizing federal immigration tactics. It was released shortly after an official statement from the City of Pasadena on June 11, 2025. However, the statement accompanying the June 12 letter included the Seal, despite a claim made in an email by De La Cuba that the letter was issued ‘in their individual capacities‘ and not as an official statement from the City of Pasadena. (In a related note, Councilmember Gene Masuda did not sign the letter). City officials have responded to inquiries from Colorado Boulevard Newspaper regarding the Seal’s use. A spokesperson confirmed that the City is reviewing the use of Seal on the unofficial letter.

While we do not find fault with the opinions expressed by the individuals who signed the letter, it is important to note that their views are personal, and the use of the City’s Seal in this instance is a misuse of official City resources. The Seal carries a weight of authority that should not be associated with partisan or individual political opinions. By attaching the Seal to a letter that was not an official City statement, the line between personal expression and official communication becomes dangerously blurred. The Seal was never intended to represent an individual’s political stance or to lend credibility to personal viewpoints. If this was a MAGA-leaning mayor, everyone would be up in arms about it for inappropriate misuse.

The letter itself, which focuses on federal immigration activities, particularly recent reports of the Department of Homeland Security’s presence in Pasadena, has also drawn attention for its strong language and political tone. The letter sharply criticizes the federal government’s immigration policies, condemning what it calls fear-based tactics and violations of democratic rights. It also reassures Pasadena’s immigrant community that the local police department will not assist in federal immigration enforcement.

“We will not allow our Pasadena—our home—to be a city under siege,” the letter reads. “Our community is stronger than fear, stronger than intimidation, and stronger than any attempt to divide us.”

Despite the powerful message, the use of the Seal raises the question: Was this an example of the Mayor’s office going “rogue” by using the city’s resources for what some critics view as a personal political statement?

This incident is the latest in a series of controversies that have led some to question the professionalism of Mayor Gordo’s office. (For example, in January 2023, Colorado Boulevard Newspaper raised concerns about De La Cuba’s insistence on using the title of Deputy to the Mayor, despite her official title as Field Representative.)