Downey’s residents and community leaders demand Trump-supporting mayor take action against ICE raids

Tuesday’s council meeting in the City of Downey got heated after several residents and community leaders confronted Downey Mayor Claudia Frometa for her lack of action on the constant ICE raids and her censorship of Councilman Mario Trujillo. 

Trujillo has spoken openly about his opposition to President Trump’s agenda, while Frometa has openly shown her support.

Frometa opened the bimonthly meeting, urging state officials to demand that the federal government take immediate action and support immigration reform. “The terror that ICE is instilling in our neighborhoods by racially profiling members of our community should not be happening,” she said. 

This comment referred to a video filmed on Saturday showing ICE officers trying to push two landscapers – who are legally in the country – inside their unmarked vehicle. It was the intervention of neighbors and filming that prevented them from being abducted. Another video showed ICE at a nearby Downey Home Depot parking lot, where witnesses said at least three workers were taken. 

Frometa said the Downey Police Department is being placed in a very difficult position because it does not have jurisdiction over federal enforcement. The department hasn’t released any statement on the issue. 

“I think together, we can call on our state legislature and the governor to amend laws so that there is communication between local law enforcement agencies and federal enforcement agencies,” she said.

Councilmember Trijillo said the ICE raids are kidnappings because in legal detentions, officers arrive in marked vehicles, unmasked and identify themselves as officers before asking the individual for identification. “So if you hear us calling these kidnappings, it's because that is exactly what they are,” Trujillo said. 

While there is not much that can be done at the city level, the mayor has the opportunity to use her platform and voice her concerns on these illegal detentions instead of just doing “lip service” in front of the community and media cameras, added Trujillo. 

“We need to hold our mayor accountable as [she is] the president of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, so she can go to D.C. and talk to her president that she supported,” Trujillo said. “We have a mayor who we all know supported this president, because we've all seen the video of her wrapped in the flag and so now, Madam Mayor, it's time for you to go [to D.C],” he said as he was being cut off from his speech.

“I’m being censored,” Trujillo said while Frometa called for a recess. 

After the recess, the council took care of other city issues, then went back to the ICE raids. Trujillo requested to finish his speech. Frometa told the audience if anyone made a sound or disrupted the meeting, in favor of Trujillo, they would pause or clear the chamber. 

“As the mayor of this city, any attack of personal nature, including this dais, will not be tolerated,” she said.

Trujillo said while the mayor may take the comments as a personal attack, the fact is that she is representing a city made up of 70% Latinos and she should be accountable and take action. 

“Perhaps she can access and ask for a meeting with the president who she supported. By the way, the flag that we all saw her draped and said, ‘Don't blame me. I voted for Trump.’ With all due respect, you should be held accountable for supporting an individual who told you he was going to come into these communities and tear families apart,” he said.

Residents take notes

During the public speaking portion, which lasted more than an hour, residents made it clear they believe that Frometa refuses to act.

Doug Hammond, a Downey resident, said he is tired of Frometa’s “strongly-worded letters” to legislators and he’s tired of her stating there is nothing that can be done to stop “this violation of federal law and order,” which he considers hypocritical. “The fact you were so quick to call on a recess after councilman Trujillo’s words, speaks how brittle your defense is against responsibility,” Hammond said. “Like you said, this is no longer a partisan issue but a human issue. When will your actions reflect an effort to protect the individuals in your community?”

Another resident, who didn’t provide a name, said that last year she spoke in front of the council about her concern for her teenage son, who didn’t have an I.D and she feared “would get kidnapped by ICE.” She said two members of the council, including Frometa, told her to take her son to get an I.D. and problem solved.

“But an I.D. didn’t save those landscapers; the only thing that is going to save us is community,” she said. 

Julio Acevedo, an entrepreneur with several businesses and who employs several people, said he supports immigrants who come to this country for a better life. “I’m a U.S. citizen now and I love this country,” he said. “When I see people supporting the current president, I see they are supporting kidnappings,” he said, referring to Frometa, who in the past has been a very vocal MAGA supporter. 

Outside of the council meeting, people gathered protesting against Downey’s lack of action regarding the ICE raids. This follows recent protests in Downey against ICE. 

The Southeast Los Angeles Rapid Response Network (SELA RRN) released the ICE activity from June 9, 2025, to January 10, 2026. Downey has been one of the most targeted cities, with 16 ICE-related events, after Huntington Park (26) and South Gate (26). It, however, takes second place in most ICE “kidnappings” with 15 people, after Huntington Park with 35.