Cell footage of ICE agents using a Penske truck to raid Home Depot in LA (Photo – Screengrab)
As families across California prepare for the start of a new school year, State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) is speaking out against ongoing federal immigration enforcement actions in the state, calling them unlawful and deeply harmful to immigrant communities.
By News Desk
In a statement issued this week, Senator Pérez criticized recent immigration raids carried out by federal agents in Los Angeles County, alleging that they violate a federal court ruling upheld just last week by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. According to Pérez, these actions amount to “illegal racial profiling” and represent a dangerous escalation in federal tactics.
“After a brief pause, masked agents are back on the streets of Los Angeles County with new tricks and tactics designed to terrorize the honest and hardworking people in our communities,” she said, citing reports of federal agents using a rented Penske moving truck to conceal their presence, alongside a Fox News television crew. “This is pure theatrics, a scripted horror movie playing out in real life,” she added.
Senator Pérez emphasized that the President must comply with court orders, stating, “The federal government must be held accountable by the courts for disregarding this ruling. The President is not above the law.”
As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Pérez is also taking legislative action aimed at protecting families with school-aged children. She has introduced two bills in direct response to recent events:
- SB 98 – The SAFE Act, which would require schools to be alerted if immigration enforcement authorities are present on campus.
- SB 805 – The No Vigilantes Act, which expands existing laws against police impersonation. The bill would make it illegal to impersonate federal agents, require all law enforcement officers in California to display clear identification, and prohibit bounty hunters from participating in immigration enforcement.
“The lack of transparency surrounding ICE raids fosters confusion, fear, and mistrust in communities across the state,” Pérez said. “Especially now, we must use our state’s legislative authority to respond to the troubling attacks we have seen in our communities. SB 98 and SB 805 do just that.”
Both bills are expected to be debated in the coming legislative session as concerns about federal immigration enforcement continue to grow across California.
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