Santa Ana mayor responds to backlash over response to ICE raids

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua is speaking out days after outrage over immigration and customs enforcement raids in the city resulted in clashes between peaceful protestors and authorities outside federal buildings in the area.

"You have a right to be angry," Mayor Amezcua said. "You have a right to be afraid. You have a right to question why."

She admits it's a scary situation for a lot of people and clarifies the city does not have any contracts with ICE.

"We have not had a contract with ICE since 2017, so that is not happening," she said.

Mayor Amezcua has received a lot of backlash for her response to the protests.

"I'm not about photo ops. I'm not going to stand up and raise my arm and give my Chicano fist pump because it makes me look good. I don't represent just one group of the community," she said.

On Facebook, she called the protests pure violence and destruction of the city and businesses. However, no reports of major damage have been reported besides graffiti and broken glass to federal buildings.

"I'm not going to separate, well, it's the federal building. It's still a place of business and it's the federal building where people work, innocent people work in there," Mayor Amezcua said.

Santa Ana councilmember Johnathan Hernandez said businesses were not being destroyed.

"Businesses are respected by the community. The community protested peacefully. I know there are outliers and people who don't come from our community that attempted to agitate our peaceful protests," Hernandez said.

Also, the mayor stated that some elected officials, like Councilmember Hernandez, condoned the destruction which he denied.

"It's absolutely reckless and it's baseless," he said.

Mayor Amezcua asks residents to remain peaceful and respectful as she works to find a solution to the ICE raids.

"It's very personal to me, but I'm not going to go out in the streets and scream at law enforcement. I'm not going to go scream at the National Guard, 'get out of my city.' It doesn't accomplish anything," Mayor Amezcua said.

Tensions will remain high in the city of Santa Ana as long as these ICE raids continue.

Residents will have a chance to talk to city officials directly during their next city council meeting on June 17.