Posted on 07/04/2025 12:51:23 PM PDT by Twotone
Several California cities canceled their Fourth of July celebrations, reportedly citing Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities as the reason for the last-minute decision.
With President Donald Trump's vow to execute the biggest deportation effort in the nation's history, ICE has increased its efforts to find and detain illegal aliens.
California, the state with the largest illegal immigrant population, has been a prime target of the administration's immigration enforcement activities, sparking mass protests and even destructive rioting last month.
Now, several California cities are reportedly faulting ICE for their decision to cancel Independence Day celebrations.
The city of Cudahy, located in southeastern Los Angeles, announced last Wednesday that it was "postponing" an Independence Day celebration scheduled for July 3 "due to recent events and concerns regarding the safety of our residents."
The post did not directly cite ICE activities as the reason for the postponement. As of Tuesday, the event had not been rescheduled.
Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez faced calls to resign, including from the L.A. police union, after she appeared to call on the city's street gangs to stop ICE's operations.
In a now-deleted June video, Gonzalez said, "I want to know where all the cholos are at in Los Angeles: 18th Street, Florencia. Where's the leadership at? Because you guys are all about territory and 'This is 18th Street,' and, 'This is Florencia.' You guys tag everything up, claiming hood and now that your hood's being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain't a peep out of you."
"Whoever's the leadership over there, just f**king get your members in order," Gonzalez added.
Matt Himes, a California resident and the managing editor for Blaze Media's Align, stated, "Last week L.A. County official Cynthia Gonzalez allegedly went on TikTok to encourage local gang members to fight back against ICE. She didn't ask how her law-abiding constituents felt about the prospect of open warfare in their neighborhood. This disdain for the average citizen is typical of California's Democrat leadership."
Bell Gardens, a city located just east of Cudahy, also canceled its Fourth of July events, directly citing concerns about immigration enforcement.
"Out of an abundance of caution regarding concerns for resident safety over federal immigration enforcement activities, the City of Bell Gardens will be canceling the scheduled events between June 24, 2025, and July 10, 2025, including the Movie Nights on June 26 and July 10 as well as the Independence Day Celebration," the city wrote.
Since the notice of cancellation, the city has repeatedly used its social media account to promote "immigration workshops."
One pinned post reads, "Know your rights! Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed constitutional rights." The post instructs immigrants on how to respond to ICE agents arriving at their home, advising them not to open the door for officers unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.
"Remain silent and [do] not answer questions from immigration agents," it reads.
Huntington Park, a city northwest of Cudahy, similarly postponed its Independence Day celebrations, though it did not provide a reason.
"The Celebration of Independence scheduled for Thursday, July 3rd has been postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for your understanding and support," the city wrote.
Boyle Heights, located east of the Los Angeles River, postponed its July 4 events, citing ICE activities, according to Alejandra Alarcon, a spokesperson for the office of city council member Ysabel Jurado.
Alarcon told the Boyle Heights Beat, "We're responding to the crisis with the presence of federal agents in the community."
The outlet reported that celebrations for Boyle Heights, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, and Northeast Los Angeles will be postponed until sometime in August.
Jurado’s deputy for economic innovation and community growth, Lucia Aguilar, was arrested, along with her twin sister, for allegedly assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon during the anti-ICE riots in June. The twin sisters are the daughters of Rick Cole, a Democratic Pasadena City council member
As some California cities prioritize shielding illegal immigrants over celebrating Independence Day, critics argue these actions betray the core values of America.
Himes stated, "Legal immigrants love July 4 — just like people who've been here for generations. But too bad: What really matters is 'protecting' the people with no respect for our country's laws. Even my neighborhood of the Pacific Palisades (which burned to the ground on the watch of that same Democratic leadership) is having a big July 4 party — my condolences to all my fellow Californians being denied one."
Gloria Romero, a former Democratic majority leader in the California State Senate, told Fox News, "They're basically canceling America; they're canceling patriotism."
"We are basically led by a far-left, ultra-woke, [Trump derangement syndrome]-suffering fools," she said.
Indeed.
Part of the blame goes to those Americans who gave all those illegals jobs. No jobs = no illegals.
They all KNEW they were hiring illegals and the got those illegals to work for them for a pittance. Stands to reason.
Illegals go where the jobs and money are. They aren't stupid. They just can't live in their own native country because the evil comes all the way down from their ruling parties, politicians and land owners. THEY own everything and don't plan on giving up one single solitary peso to ANYONE.
Why should they? Americans DEMAND drugs. The cartels are the suppliers.
The president of Mexico is Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo...a WOMAN president...and she is NO BETTER that the worst cartel leaders. You can bet she has TONS of pesos and owns MUCHO land.
The real reason is that they hate this country, and Trump, and they want hordes of non-Americans to come into this country and replace us. Their hatred for this country makes them cancel the country’s founding birthday party.
Gotta keep those illegals safe.
Don’t you wish they cared about Americans as much as they do illegals?
Leftists are parasites
Enforcement on the employers who hire them would get rid of the illegals much quicker.
They Missed Cinco de Mayo...
What ya gonna do.
LOL! I like the other one as well “AOC announced she supports new, clear energy for Iran”
Don’t know about that. If California could be forced to stop supporting them through legislation, litigation and withholding of Federal funds, it could be cleared up this term. We’re already seeing mass self-deportation elsewhere.
Not in CA, lots of them don’t work for organized business and/or are essentially on welfare.
THEY HAVE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS?
REGARDLESS OF IMMIGRATION STATUS???
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEPORT-—
NOTHING ELSE
Yeah, because illegals were all really looking forward to bringing their families out for the Independence Day festivities. The democrats love to deprive their citizens of things they can blame on Donald Trump.
“We’re gonna cancel your holiday and blame Trump!” Why not just tell it like it is?
Illegals go where the jobs and money are. They aren't stupid.
You mean most knew the fed and state and local governments were giving out gifts, prizes, free social services, medical, housing, food and on and on and on. Our corrupt previous government rolled out the red carpet for them. This is not a secret.
Most are barely educated. In addition, all they have to do is cross the border and they immediately get a 500% raise. Kind of a no brainer even for them. Now you know why they work hard, for what we consider crappy low wages, with a smile.
They just can't live in their own native country because the evil comes all the way down from their ruling parties, politicians and land owners.
Where did you get this? CNN? Get real. It's called too lazy and cowardice to take their country back. Besides, why bother with that when it's WAY easier to cross over, get a 500% raise, and get all the gifts and prizes provided by local, state and the fed government were handing out to the tune of hundreds of billions in taxpayers money.
Been there done that. Natives of CA have been waiting for all that going back many decades. Even when we passed prop 187 in 1994, won big by the people, the Communist left working with their federal co-conspirators burned our ballots and declared our election illegal. It would have stopped tax paid benefits/services for millions of illegals.
I decided long ago life was too short to spend decade after decade being looted/regulated and controlled by the Communist left.
How many Californians are anti-American? Dems control the CA legislature in both houses and of course the Governor’s mansion with Gavin.
But a state where people are proud to fly the flags of Mexico and other countries but to burn and spit upon the American flag is a place where a lot of people are bad.
As in my region, WE ARE GOOD PEOPLE including millions in California who are also behind enemy lines as I am in Michigan. And WE are proud to honor OUR country and OUR flag on Independence Day.
I did say ‘if’. Thing is, they will have to be forced to end support through jail sentences and funding halts - as in “no Federal funding for the state of CA until they obey the laws” - nothing in-state only will work.
Maybe the thought of ending up at Alligator Alcatraz will incentivize more self-deportation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.