The vice mayor of a small city in California is under fire after a social media video emerged in which she appears to call on local street gangs to stand up to raids on undocumented migrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
In a clip posted to Instagram and then swiftly deleted by Cynthia Gonzalez, Vice Mayor of Cudahy – which lies just southeast of Los Angeles – the politician says: “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, 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.
“It’s everyone else who’s not about the gang life that’s out there protesting and speaking up. We’re out there fighting our turf, protecting our turf, protecting our people and, like, where you at?
She continues: “Dude they’re running amok all up on your streets, on your streets and in your city and, peep, when the big gang guns come in nothing but, like, quiet and we’re out here, the regular ones that have never been jumped in out here calling things out and trying to organize. People trying to do the thing.
“So don’t be trying to claim no block, no nothing if you’re not showing up right now trying to, like, help out and organize. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you once they’re gone, trying to claim that this is my block. This was not your block. You weren’t even here helping out. So whoever is the leadership over there just f***ing get your members in order.”
Gonzalez does not name ICE in the video but it comes after weeks of controversy caused by federal raids on migrants in downtown Los Angeles, which saw local people hit the streets to protest and President Donald Trump call in the National Guard and deploy active-duty Marines to support local law enforcement against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
Two weeks ago, Gonzalez joined other L.A. County mayors at a press conference hosted by Bass at City Hall to address ICE’s actions.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reacted angrily to the video, reposting it on Tuesday evening with the statement: “The comments made by the Vice Mayor of Cudahy, CA, Cynthia Gonzalez, are despicable. She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious 18th Street gang – to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement.
“This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase in assaults against our ICE law enforcement officers. Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been clear: If you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Independent has contacted Gonzalez for comment but she has so far refused all media requests pertaining to the video.
The City of Cudahy has issued a brief statement of its own in which it says: “The comments made by the Vice Mayor reflect her personal views and do not represent the views or official position of the City of Cudahy. The City will not be providing further comment.”
The FBI has said it cannot currently confirm or deny that an investigation into Gonzalez is underway but spokesperson Laura Eimiller noted: “Generally speaking, of course, the FBI condemns any calls for violence or targeting of law enforcement with violence.”
ABC News legal analyst Josh Ritter said he believed Gonzalez’s comments had crossed a line: “When you’re dealing with a political leader calling upon criminal street gangs to take action, that takes on a far more sinister meaning and, perhaps, criminal meaning behind it.
“It is one thing to say local people of the neighborhood stand up for yourselves. It’s another thing to actually call out the names of different criminal street gangs and ask them to protect their neighborhood.”
The video was also condemned by local residents like Danielle Canales, who told ABC’s local affiliate: “Her talking about gang violence and bringing them to do, you know, stuff like that, I think it’s horrible. We’re already going through ICE deporting people and people, you know, are feeling insensitive about it. Saying that is just kind of sad.”
