Dozens of Orange residents urge council to join ACLU lawsuit over unmarked immigration raids

Dozens of residents urged the City of Orange council on Aug. 26 to join an ACLU-supported lawsuit they said challenges unlawful, unmarked immigration enforcement that has targeted local families.

At the start of a lengthy public-comment period, a resident identifying herself as Cynthia told the council, "Your silence is violence," and said that local officials' refusal to speak out makes immigrant families fearful of being detained or separated. Other speakers recounted incidents they attributed to agents or impersonators operating without clear identification, and several asked the city to follow nearby cities and "stand with immigrants, not with fear," language used by Gaston Castellanos during his remarks.

Speakers repeatedly asked the council to join litigation referenced in public remarks as "Vasquez Predamo et al v. Christy Noem et al," an ACLU-led complaint mentioned by multiple commentators. Jane Hudson and others framed the request as a moral obligation and urged the council to use its voice even though local governments cannot directly stop federal enforcement actions.

Council members listened and acknowledged the concerns but did not place a motion or vote on joining the litigation at the meeting; public comment closed without action. City staff and council members later pointed participants to coordination with Orange County agencies, outreach materials and community information posted online.

The meeting record shows sustained community pressure on the council to take a public position or join litigation; the council's next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 9, 2025.

The council did not take formal action on the lawsuit during the Aug. 26 meeting.