Oxnard residents press council over ICE raids; council reiterates sanctuary stance and shares resources

Dozens of residents and community groups told the Oxnard City Council on June 17 that recent ICE enforcement actions are terrorizing neighborhoods and workplaces and asked city leaders to do more than issue statements.

Speakers from VC Defensa, SEIU and other community organizations described arrests they characterized as “kidnappings” at worksites and immigration‑courthouse pickup points and urged the council and city agencies to back rapid‑response legal and social‑service networks. “ICE is violent. ICE is invading neighborhoods and workplaces,” a virtual caller identified as Sharon said during public comment. Vanessa Valdez, a Chicana lawyer and president of the Latinx Bar Association, said local volunteer groups had provided 24/7 rapid response and “know your rights” trainings and asked the city and county to coordinate resources and legal support for families affected by recent arrests.

Why it matters: Speakers and some council members said the raids are reducing school attendance and work participation, with ripple effects for education funding, local businesses and public safety. Council members and staff repeatedly referred to California law limiting local participation in federal immigration enforcement and to the city’s sanctuary‑policy practice, but residents said public reassurances have not eased fear in some…