Fontana City Council meeting turns heated as residents ask about ICE presence in the city

During a special meeting of the Fontana City Council regarding a single item, residents expressed concerns about public safety, given that ICE has been in the city. Mayor Acquanetta Warren felt the comments did not meet the conditions of the agenda. 

The first speaker during the meeting on November 12 was Joz Sida, who is also a candidate for Fontana Mayor. As she spoke about the event and asked if families would be safe, Mayor Warren warned Sida to stick to the agenda item. 

The official recording of the meeting censored the remaining comments from Sida, where she asked the city council to answer if the public would be safe to attend the car show and Toys for Tots toy drive event. 

“For the Toys for Tots, children want to feel safe, their families want to feel safe going,” Sida said. “And again, parents were just taken over the weekend and over the last three days.” 

Warren then cut Sida off and said, “Okay bye, this is your second warning and I’m going to ask you to leave.”

“Will the families be safe?” Sida asked. “Will you be able to answer publicly?”

Another speaker said they should also give out books so kids can learn about racism. 

“Sir, you’re done,” Warren said. 

In a social media post on Instagram, Sida posted the video segment where she was censored. 

“My political opponent threatened to remove community residents and myself from the city council meeting today,” Sida said in her post. “She threatened to throw out people concerned that Donald Trump’s ICE will use a Toys for Tots event to kidnap parents. She refused to say that she’ll keep us safe.”

Sida said Fontana and Bloomington “have been and continue to be terrorized by ICE. People are being profiled. Families are being torn apart and many feel afraid to be targeted even though they have their legal status, just because of how they talk or how they look.”

The car show and toy drive is scheduled for December 14.