WATSONVILLE — Following President Donald Trump’s decision to send federal troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over immigration raids, the Watsonville City Council took a firm stand in opposition by unanimously approving a resolution condemning the president’s actions and declaring support for immigrant communities at a special meeting Tuesday.
In response to increased raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the LA area, hundreds took to the streets starting Friday, resulting in tensions between protesters and ICE as well as the Los Angeles Police Department. The following day, Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops, followed by the deployment of an additional 2,000 troops and approximately 700 Marines Monday. Gov. Gavin Newsom said these actions were done without his approval and that they were not about public safety but about “stroking a dangerous president’s ego.” Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against Trump on Monday in response to the orders.
Tuesday’s resolution was brought forth by Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco in a special meeting immediately following the day’s regular meeting. That same day, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a similar resolution, and the council unanimously voted in a closed session to join San Francisco and other jurisdictions in the lawsuit SF, et al. v. Trump, et al. over the Trump administration’s proposals to withhold funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. Watsonville voted to reaffirm its sanctuary city status in January ahead of Trump’s inauguration.
Orozco said she was inspired to bring forth the resolution after following coverage of the protests. She noted it was the first instance of a president sending federal troops without a state’s consent since 1965, when Lyndon Johnson deployed the Alabama National Guard during the march from Selma to Montgomery that became known as Bloody Sunday. Those actions, Orozco noted, were to protect civil rights demonstrators.
“Today, the context is very different,” she said. “Peaceful protest is not only protected by the Constitution, it is vital to a healthy democracy. Responding to it with military force sets a troubling precedent.”
Orozco also highlighted the important role that immigrants play in communities like Watsonville.
“They are our neighbors, our essential workers, our small-business owners, our classmates and our family members,” she said. “They pick the fruit we eat, teach in our schools, serve in our clinics and shape the rich culture of our city. That is the story of Watsonville and of communities across America.”
Orozco said the goals of the resolution were to denounce the use of federal military force against immigrant communities and protesters, affirm the rights of all people to assemble regardless of immigration status, recognize the contributions of immigrants, call upon cities and counties throughout the Central Coast and California to adopt similar resolutions and urge Congress and the California Legislature to prevent the misuse of military power against civilians. It also called for copies to be sent to Newsom, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and state Sen. John Laird as well as the Watsonville city delegation.
Several speakers took to the lectern, and all were in favor of the resolution. MariaElena De La Garza, CEO of Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, said she was impacted by the news coverage of the protests.
“Your support is incredibly important,” she said. “It sends a message to the community that you value and recognize our essential workers and our immigrant families, and it really sends a message to the youth of our community.”
The Rev. Robby Olson, a Presbyterian pastor, said the federalization of the National Guard was “appalling and terrifying.”
“California is going to be the test for what the public will tolerate from the federal government,” he said. “LA is Step 1. We have the opportunity to step up and make a strong statement that says, ‘We will not get steamrolled by the federal government. We are ready to stand up.'”
Some speakers also promoted Watsonville’s “No Kings” rally to protest what they viewed as governmental overreach in the Trump administration. The rally is scheduled for noon Saturday at City Plaza Park.
Councilwoman Vanessa Quiroz-Carter said she was upset by what was happening in the United States and that the time for polite dissent was over.
“The American people are the guardrails against a system that has failed us, and we need to realize that,” she said. “If you’re waiting for alarm bells to go off, they’re going off, OK? The smoke is here, alarms are off. We need to act.”
Quiroz-Carter said it was important for the American people to understand what was at risk.
“Every day, we’re waking up and we’re going to work and we’re pretending like nothing’s wrong, and something is very, very, very wrong,” she said.
Councilwoman Ari Parker said the resolution was about sending a message.
“Although it has no bearing on the federal law or public, and we’ve had a lot of them over the years, I understand that it is a philosophical statement of who we are as a country,” she said. “I do not want to see violence, but I still think in every way possible, we need to fight back.”
Councilman Jimmy Dutra said people need to be treated with dignity and respect.
“Even if you are undocumented doesn’t mean you’re lesser of a person,” he said. “We need to be moving forward thinking of people as humans because right now, I don’t see humanity.”
The council voted 6-0 to approve the resolution. Mayor Pro Tempore Kristal Salcido was absent.
Prior to the item, Police Chief Jorge Zamora said that while his department would respond if violence occurred at a protest locally, he expressed appreciation for peaceful protesters.
“That is what Watsonville is about,” he said. “We are not a community that wants to destroy things.”
In other business, the council unanimously approved the purchase of a new firetruck and a request for proposals for new LED streetlight modules at existing streetlights ahead of the council’s vote on the 2025-26 budget, scheduled for the June 24 meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.