Last night, if you caught my Facebook Live broadcast, you witnessed a moment that cut deep into the soul of our community. I found myself stepping into a couple of tense altercations during what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration of solidarity in Downtown Santa Ana.
The first involved a young Latino man, overwhelmed with pain. Another demonstrator tried to de-escalate the situation, but emotions were high, and instead of cooling down, things flared up—especially between the young man, law enforcement, and military personnel on site. I had to step in. What could have turned violent needed a voice of calm. I did my best to be that voice.
Lone Demonstration of Solidarity
This young man—hurting, frustrated, and grieving—had family in the military. The pain he carried exploded into words directed at law enforcement. Again, I stepped in to calm him. But minutes later, after walking away, he returned, now face-to-face with an OCSD deputy. This time, his grief turned to desperation. He pleaded with the officer to shoot him. Said he wanted to die like his brother, who lost his life in service.
He stood just inches from the deputy, who had assumed an aggressive posture. I intervened once again, shielding this broken soul from what could have become another tragic incident on our streets.
Solidarity
Which raises the question: What is it with law enforcement and the lack of empathy? Have badges and state protection numbed their humanity? When did they stop hearing pain and start seeing only threats?
I have family in the military—my brother, my cousins. I understand duty. But duty, whether in uniform or behind a badge, is first and foremost to the Constitution, not to a delusional narcissist like Donald Trump. The U.S. Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the Oath of Enlistment make this clear: uphold the Constitution, not the man who happens to sit in the Oval Office.
Orange County Sheriff Department taking an Aggressive Stance on Peaceful Protest.
The same should be expected of our local police. Their oath is not to power—it’s to principle. Yet increasingly, we’re seeing the military and law enforcement used not as protectors of the people, but as enforcers of a nationalist, fascist agenda driven by fear and division.
We are not the enemy. That young man was not the enemy. He was a citizen in pain. And what he needed was compassion—not confrontation.
Guardias Nacionales de California en alerta en las calles de Santa Ana, California. Foto: The Orange County Reporter
En los condados de Orange y Los Ángeles, las fuerzas del orden parecen haber pasado de los manifestantes a quienes informan la verdad, en lo que solo puede considerarse una grave crisis para la democracia. Según informes, las agencias policiales locales han recurrido a la violencia, arrestos ilegales y amenazas públicas contra reporteros, fotógrafos y periodistas que cubren redadas de ICE y protestas civiles.
Esto está respaldado por testimonios de testigos presenciales, relatos de testigos presenciales y videos, no por hipótesis. Se han disparado balas de goma contra periodistas, se les ha encarcelado sin motivo y se les ha prohibido explícitamente cubrir irregularidades policiales. Este comportamiento no solo es ilegal, sino también totalitario, y por lo tanto destruye la base de la libertad mediática de toda democracia funcional.
Manifestación pacífica frente al Palacio de Justicia Federal en Santa Ana, California. Foto: The Orange County Reporter.
El reciente despliegue de la Guardia Nacional y la Infantería de Marina de los EE. UU. en el sur de California aumenta el peligro. A diferencia de la policía local, la Infantería de Marina no está entrenada en seguridad comunitaria ni en disturbios civiles. Está entrenada para enfrentarse y eliminar a los oponentes en zonas de combate utilizando munición real. Esto no es control de multitudes, sino una táctica de escalada.
Entrar en ciudades ya sumidas en la agitación, las protestas y la inestabilidad política con soldados listos para el combate no es una demostración de poderío, sino una declaración de guerra contra la población, los derechos civiles y la libertad de prensa. Ofrece un ejemplo esclarecedor de las consecuencias de la excesiva intromisión del gobierno.
La Primera Enmienda protege la libertad de prensa como un escudo contra la tiranía, no como un favor. El público se ciega cuando se silencia a la prensa. Vivimos en una civilización regulada, no democrática, donde quienes dicen la verdad son vistos como oponentes.
Vincent Sarmiento, de la Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Orange, y Benjamín Vázquez, alcalde interino de Santa Ana. Foto: The Orange County Reporter.
Exigimos que todos los funcionarios electos, las organizaciones de derechos civiles y los defensores legales actúen de inmediato para investigar estas violaciones. Protejan a los periodistas. Antes de que la violencia se intensifique, desmilitaricen nuestra sociedad ante todo.
Todo el mundo observa. ¿Se convertirá el sur de California en un santuario de libertad o caerá bajo la opresión?
California National Guards on Standby in The Streets of Santa Ana CA. Photo by: The Orange County Reporter
In Orange and Los Angeles counties, law enforcement appears to have switched from protestors to the very people who report the truth in what can only be considered as a developing and serious crisis for democracy. Local police agencies have resorted to violence, unlawful arrests, and public threats against reporters, photographers, and media personnel covering ICE raids and civil protests, according to reports.
This is backed by eyewitness testimonies, ground level eyewitness accounts, and video—not hypothesis. Rubber bullets have been pointed and fired at journalists, imprisoned without cause, and explicitly told not to cover police wrongdoing. Such behavior is not only illegal but also totalitarian, hence destroying the free media foundation of every functioning democracy.
Peaceful Demonstration outside of The Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana CA. Photo by: The Orange County Reporter.
The recent deployment of National Guard and US Marines to Southern California increases the danger. Unlike local police, marines are not trained in community security or civil unrest. They are trained how to engage and eliminate opponents in fighting zones using actual ammo. This is not crowd control, but an escalation tactic.
Entering cities already embroiled in turmoil, protests, and political unrest with battle-ready soldiers is not a display of might but rather a declaration of war against the populace, civil rights, and the free press. It offers a sobering illustration of the results of too much government meddling.
The First Amendment safeguards freedom of the press as a shield against tyranny, not as a kindness. The public becomes blind when the press is silenced. We live in a regulated civilization, not a democratic one, where those who speak the truth are viewed as opponents.
Orange County Board of Supervisors Vincent Sarmiento and Santa Ana Mayor Pro-Term Benjamin Vazquez. Photo by: The Orange County Reporter.
We demand that all elected officials, civil rights organizations, and legal protectors act right now to look into these violations. Protect journalists. Before the violence intensifies, demilitarize our society above all else.
The whole globe is watching. Will Southern California become a sanctuary of liberty or fall under oppression?
In a troubling escalation, the California National Guard has reportedly been sent to Los Angeles equipped with live ammunition rounds. Even more troubling is the fact that a military Blackhawk helicopter was observed in the metropolis providing live rounds to an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) site. On American land, in the middle of one of the most diverse cities in the country, not in a faraway war zone, this is occurring in our neighborhoods.
This incredibly disturbing conduct raises several urgent problems. Who authorized this military mission? With such extreme force, what is the justification for equipping federal immigration detention facilities? And, above all, where are the voices of accountability?
A Military Blackhawk Helicopter Delivering Live Ammunition and Explosives to ICE Agents near Downtown Los Angeles as Documented by ABC7 News Helicopter.
Bound by the Constitution to demand accountability and transparency, Congressman Lou Correa, representing part of Orange County and sitting on the powerful Homeland Security Committee, is bound by the Constitution. His quiet is overwhelming. As he is in charge of federal law enforcement agencies and homeland operations, his constituents need protection from the creeping normalization of military presence in civilian areas.
In the same vein, where are California’s other members of Congress, especially those who were directly elected to represent the Los Angeles area? What are they doing while military-grade equipment is flown to ICE grounds? The people they represent are watching their neighborhoods become militarized zones, and there is very little public discussion, hearings, or monitoring being done during this metamorphosis.
Particularly when live rounds are employed, the line between military occupation and civil policing becomes fuzzy when the National Guard is deployed in conjunction with federal immigration enforcement. Not just excessive, these acts serve as a terrifying, unlawful, and dangerous reminder of how unbridled authority damages democracy.
If elected officials like Lou Correa keep passive, they will be complicit in the erosion of civil rights and the growing adoption of authoritarian approaches under the pretense of national security. California officials cannot afford to turn a blind eye to problems. The public demands justification. They call for action. They call for bravery.
Those in power now have a choice to either back the people or remain apart and allow those who will.
Paramount, California — a working-class, predominantly immigrant city — is now the latest flashpoint in a terrifying pattern of militarized crackdowns and unchecked aggression by federal agencies and private operatives. Residents report a surge of operations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), private contractors like Blackwater (now rebranded as Constellis), and even rogue bounty hunters acting outside of constitutional limits. These forces have descended upon the city with military-grade equipment, assault rifles, unmarked vehicles, and the blatant disregard for civil rights that has come to characterize such operations.
The most horrifying incident came during a peaceful protest earlier this week, when a protester was run over by a federal vehicle. Witnesses state that the victim — a young activist marching against ICE raids in the neighborhood — was deliberately targeted. The federal agents present refused to offer medical assistance and instead formed a perimeter to shield the vehicle and its driver from public accountability. The victim was later rushed to the hospital by fellow demonstrators. No arrests have been made. No apologies issued.
Peaceful Demonstrator was hit and killed by ICE Agents when ICE Agents ran him over with a Federal Vehicle.
What is happening in Paramount is not law enforcement. It is a campaign of fear. Residents speak of pre-dawn raids, helicopters circling above schools, families pulled from their homes without warrants, and masked operatives demanding identification with no legal basis. Community members are being surveilled, harassed, and detained — not for crimes, but for the crime of existing in a system that criminalizes immigrants, Black and Brown bodies, and anyone who dares to dissent.
The involvement of Blackwater-style contractors and bounty hunters — with their long track records of war crimes, human rights violations, and total lack of accountability — only amplifies the terror. These groups are not bound by the same protocols and oversight as public law enforcement, yet they are armed to the teeth and deployed as if the community were a battlefield.
Where is the oversight? Where are California’s state leaders, the county supervisors, the city officials? Their silence is complicity.
Paramount is not a war zone. It is a community of hard-working families, students, elders, and everyday people who deserve safety — not occupation. No federal badge or military patch gives anyone the right to terrorize civilians, run over protesters, or treat neighborhoods like enemy territory. If this happened abroad, the U.S. government would call it a human rights violation. But on American soil, under the guise of “law enforcement,” it is business as usual.
We must demand an independent investigation into these operations. We must demand the names of every agency, contractor, and officer involved. We must demand justice for the protester injured — and for every family living in fear.
This is not democracy. This is a dystopia.
The people of Paramount deserve better. The nation must pay attention.
The United States is facing a constitutional crisis unlike anything seen in modern history. Under the current presidency of Donald Trump, an authoritarian and racist agenda has taken hold, turning government institutions and private interests into tools of persecution. This is not speculation. This is the lived experience of countless U.S. citizens and minorities who find themselves targeted, harassed, and violated by the very structures meant to protect them.
ICE agents, bounty hunters, ATF operatives, FBI surveillance teams, the U.S. military, and agents of the Department of Homeland Security are being unleashed on American soil—not to serve justice, but to silence dissent, terrorize communities of color, and enforce a white nationalist vision of the nation. And they are not acting alone.
State, county, and city governments—many of them aligned with Trump’s extremist agenda—are enablers in this campaign. From local police departments collaborating with federal raids, to state legislatures passing laws criminalizing protest, every level of government has been bent toward repression. Add to this the involvement of corporate profiteers like Halliburton—whose contracts enable mass surveillance, detention, and militarization—and we are no longer talking about rogue elements. We are talking about a full-fledged system of control.
This is not security. This is persecution.
Immigrant families are torn apart in pre-dawn raids. Black and Brown neighborhoods are over-policed, surveilled, and criminalized. Protesters are tear-gassed, beaten, and jailed for exercising their First Amendment rights. Entire communities live under a constant threat of state violence, and the Constitution’s promises of due process, equal protection, and freedom from unlawful search and seizure are trampled daily.
The current administration’s fingerprints are all over this. Trump has openly celebrated law enforcement brutality, labeled political opponents as enemies, and stoked racial division at every turn. His agenda is not hidden—it is shouted from podiums, etched into executive orders, and enforced by the barrel of a gun.
Militarized ATF
This is how democracy dies—not all at once, but under the slow crush of sanctioned injustice.
What we are witnessing is not simply a failure of policy. It is a deliberate effort to turn the United States into a police state that serves the interests of the few, at the expense of the many. It is the transformation of the federal government into a tool for racial dominance, using fear and violence to suppress resistance.
It is unconstitutional. It is immoral. And it must be stopped.
Unlawful Raids, Racist Agenda, Civil Rights Violations
We must name it for what it is: State-sponsored oppression.
Now is not the time for silence or neutrality. Now is the time to resist—legally, politically, and morally. We must demand accountability from every agency, every politician, and every corporation complicit in this violence. We must protect and elevate the voices of the targeted. And we must fight to restore the Constitution to its rightful place as a shield for the people—not a weapon for the powerful.
History is watching. Future generations will ask what we did when democracy was under attack from within. Let the answer be that we stood up.
The Trump administration signaled a hazardous intensification of institutional racism and xenophobia in the United States. The Trump administration turned immigration enforcement into a weapon of fear and control, disproportionately targeting immigrant, brown, and Black communities through policies such as the “Muslim Ban,” the separation of families at the border, and the aggressive increase in ICE raids.
This period has been characterized by illegal ICE raids, which frequently involve breaches of fundamental rights protected by the U.S. Constitution, notably the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments, and are frequently conducted without warrants or due process. These raids not only tear apart families, but also convey a terrifying signal that some groups of people, particularly Latinos, Muslims, and undocumented immigrants, are less deserving of respect or safety.
Illegal ICE Raids
Simultaneously, white supremacist language has been encouraged rather than denounced. In response to the Charlottesville march, Trump infamously said there were “very fine people on both sides,” and the administration refused to take a strong stance against violent hate groups, which revived formerly marginalized racist ideas.
All of this is completely at odds with the values that the Constitution professes to support. The Founders cautioned about tyranny, but under Trump, we see a government engaging in tyranny from within, using the machinery of state authority to infringe on the rights of the most vulnerable while protecting the powerful.
Orange County CA Lake Forrest Man Eric Walter Ramminger Arrested for hate crimes, racial slurs, Assault, death threats against a business owner.
The purpose of the Constitution is to be a living document—a protection for everyone, not a selective instrument used to support privilege while stifling dissent. Now more than ever, it is crucial to demand responsibility, defend human rights, and advocate for a real democracy where liberty and justice are assured for everyone, not just a select few.
ICE Using Bail Enforcement Agents (Bounty Hunters) to do immigration raids in Orange County CA.
Although not in the manner that most people would expect, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased its activities in Orange County, California, of late. There have been reports of disguised ICE officers driving unmarked vehicles and posing as “bail enforcement agents” in order to break into homes. These practices have ethical, legal, and constitutional implications that require quick action.
At a moment when public faith in law enforcement is already waning, particularly in immigrant communities, these dishonest methods exacerbate public distrust and spread anxiety among individuals who are just trying to live their lives without the threat of deportation. Despite ICE’s history of employing divisive force to enforce federal immigration legislation, the use of covert methods typically reserved for fugitive investigations or high-risk criminal arrests should not be used indiscriminately against civil immigration offenses.
A troubling trend
According to neighborhood reports and eyewitness accounts, people come to houses claiming to be bail enforcement officials—sometimes without providing adequate proof of their identification or explaining the purpose of their visit. Some allege that they tricked residents in order to gain admission, but they only revealed their connection to ICE after they were inside. This deception has the potential to violate the legal restrictions governing search and seizure in addition to eroding residents’ trust.
The Fourth Amendment safeguards citizens against unlawful searches and seizures; in general, law enforcement must obtain a warrant before entering private homes. Nevertheless, it raises important concerns about whether constitutional rights are being violated in the pursuit of immigration enforcement objectives if officers deceive people about their motives or identity in order to gain entry.
Impact on Communities:
The economic, cultural, and social landscape of Orange County is significantly influenced by many of the diverse immigrant groups that live there. The secrecy and deception strategies used by ICE in enforcement actions contribute to a climate of uncertainty and fear. Parents are reluctant to enroll their children in school because they are afraid of running into federal immigration officers, workers are hesitant to go to work, and crime victims are wary of assisting local law enforcement.
This chilling impact puts pressure on ties between immigrant populations and local police, thereby undermining broader public safety measures. In addition, people who may have sought refuge from violence or persecution in their home countries are at risk of encountering new dangers in what they hoped would be a secure location.
supervisory and legal uncertainties
The growing use of veiled operatives and fake identities in enforcement operations indicates a concerning shift in strategy, even if ICE asserts that its agents are trained to follow stringent protocols. Serious questions arise about responsibility, monitoring, and openness if ICE mixes frontiers with bounty hunters or private enforcement officers.
The behavior of federal officials in residential settings should be carefully regulated, particularly while entering homes without obvious identification or court approval. Whether these actions comply with existing legal frameworks and whether the existing protections adequately protect civil liberties should be examined by Congress and oversight organizations.
The right and responsibility to seek answers lies with local authorities, immigrant advocacy groups, and concerned citizens. The heads of Orange County, California, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and members of Congress should call for a comprehensive investigation into these activities. If necessary to put an end to the misuse of deceptive law enforcement identities in civil immigration enforcement, legislation should be passed.
Communities should be aware of who is knocking at their doors and why. Law enforcement must function with transparency, respect for due process, and a focus on fostering trust rather than destroying it.
# Dressed as bail enforcement officers, masked ICE agents in Orange County set a dangerous example that puts the rights of everyone at risk, regardless of their immigration status, as well as the integrity of our judicial system. Strategies used to achieve enforcement outcomes that rely on deception and terror must be rejected by our community. True security is founded on justice, transparency, and respect for human dignity, not on fear.
Note:
A controversial bill moving through the Mississippi legislature would allow bounty hunters — also known as bail enforcement agents — to target individuals suspected of violating state-level immigration laws, raising alarm among civil rights advocates, immigrant communities, and legal experts.
House Bill 1484 proposes the creation of the so-called Mississippi Illegal Aliens Certified Bounty Hunter Program, which would certify licensed bail bond agents and surety recovery agents for purposes of finding and detaining anyone in the country illegally.
Các báo cáo về hoạt động của ICE tại Santa Ana, California, đã khơi lại các vấn đề về sự can thiệp quá mức của chính phủ, thiếu cởi mở và sự tham gia ngày càng tăng của các nhà thầu tư nhân trong các hoạt động thực thi pháp luật công. Mặc dù không liên quan trực tiếp đến các cuộc đột kích nhập cư cụ thể này, Haliburton, một công ty toàn cầu có lịch sử lâu đời làm việc cho chính phủ Hoa Kỳ, đã nêu ra những vấn đề đáng lo ngại về danh tính của những người phụ trách các cuộc đột kích này và động cơ khiến một số người tham gia che giấu danh tính của họ.
Sau những cáo buộc rằng các nhà lãnh đạo thành phố đã biết về các cuộc đột kích của ICE trước đó trong năm nay, Hội đồng thành phố Santa Ana gần đây đã thừa nhận những lo ngại về việc thực thi luật nhập cư. Những tuyên bố này cho thấy sự khó chịu ngày càng tăng trong số những cư dân cảm thấy họ đang bị nhắm mục tiêu một cách bất công theo luật nhập cư liên bang. Việc sử dụng danh tính ẩn và các hoạt động không xác định trong suốt các hành động thực thi chỉ khiến công chúng hoài nghi hơn và làm xói mòn lòng tin vào hệ thống.
Mặc dù Halliburton nổi tiếng nhất với các hợp đồng năng lượng và quốc phòng, chẳng hạn như các tương tác gây tranh cãi trong suốt Chiến tranh Iraq, nhưng công ty này không bị liên kết ngay lập tức với các hoạt động thực thi luật nhập cư. Nhưng có thể hiểu được tại sao một số người lại suy đoán về vai trò của nó khi tính ẩn danh trở thành đặc điểm của các hoạt động cảnh sát do lịch sử lâu dài của nó hoạt động dưới sự giám sát hạn chế của công chúng và mối quan hệ lâu dài với chính phủ Hoa Kỳ.
Nhân viên có thể bị buộc phải đeo khẩu trang trong các hoạt động của ICE vì lý do hoạt động hoặc an toàn, nhưng thông lệ này lại tạo ra ấn tượng về một quyền lực mờ ám, không được kiểm soát mà không có sự công khai hoặc trách nhiệm giải trình. Sự giám sát của đảng dân chủ là không thể khi mọi người không hiểu biết về những người ban hành luật. Mối quan ngại này trở nên tồi tệ hơn khi các nhà thầu tư nhân – những người báo cáo với hội đồng quản trị công ty chứ không phải công dân – được cho là tham gia vào việc thực thi pháp luật.
Mối quan tâm hàng đầu phải là sự công khai. Bất kể Halliburton hay nhà thầu nào khác đang hỗ trợ ICE, người dân Hoa Kỳ nên được thông báo về những người đang tiến hành các hoạt động này, những hệ thống giám sát nào đang được áp dụng và cách thức quyết định các chiến thuật thực thi pháp luật. Người dân Santa Ana và tất cả các cộng đồng bị ảnh hưởng bởi việc thực thi luật nhập cư nên nhận được câu trả lời, chứ không phải sự mơ hồ.
Những người giám sát và nhà lập pháp phải quyết định xem ranh giới giữa khu vực công và tư có trở nên quá mơ hồ trong các hoạt động địa phương quan trọng hay không và liệu các biện pháp bảo vệ hiện có có đủ để duy trì các quyền công dân hay không. Bất cứ điều gì ít hơn dân chủ đều nuôi dưỡng sự ngờ vực, sợ hãi và xung đột; mặt khác, dân chủ phát triển mạnh mẽ trong sự công khai.
Los informes sobre las operaciones de ICE en Santa Ana, California, han reavivado los problemas de extralimitación gubernamental, falta de transparencia y la creciente participación de contratistas privados en las actividades de aplicación de la ley. Aunque no está directamente relacionada con estas redadas de inmigración en particular, Haliburton, una firma internacional con una larga trayectoria trabajando para el gobierno de Estados Unidos, plantea cuestiones inquietantes sobre la identidad de los responsables y la motivación de algunos de los participantes para ocultar su identidad.
Tras las acusaciones de que los líderes de la ciudad estaban al tanto de redadas previas de ICE este año, el Ayuntamiento de Santa Ana reconoció recientemente su preocupación por la aplicación de la ley migratoria. Estas declaraciones sugieren un creciente malestar entre los habitantes, que se sienten injustamente perseguidos por la legislación federal de inmigración. El uso de identidades ocultas y agentes desconocidos en las acciones de aplicación de la ley simplemente aumenta el escepticismo del público y erosiona la confianza en el sistema.
Aunque Halliburton es más conocida por sus contratos de energía y defensa, como sus polémicas interacciones durante la guerra de Irak, no se la ha vinculado inmediatamente con actividades de control migratorio. Sin embargo, es comprensible que algunos especulen sobre su papel cuando el anonimato se convierte en una característica de las operaciones policiales, dado su largo historial de operar bajo escasa supervisión pública y sus antiguos vínculos con el gobierno estadounidense.
El personal puede estar obligado a usar mascarillas durante las actividades del ICE por razones operativas o de seguridad, pero esta práctica alimenta la impresión de un poder opaco, sin control, sin transparencia ni rendición de cuentas. La supervisión democrática es imposible cuando se desconoce quiénes promulgan las leyes. Esta preocupación se agrava cuando se cree que contratistas privados —que reportan a las juntas directivas corporativas en lugar de a los ciudadanos— participan en la aplicación de la ley.
La principal preocupación debería ser la transparencia. Sea cual sea Halliburton u otro contratista que asista al ICE, el pueblo estadounidense debe estar informado de quién lleva a cabo estas operaciones, qué sistemas de vigilancia existen y cómo se deciden las tácticas de aplicación de la ley. Los habitantes de Santa Ana y todas las comunidades afectadas por la aplicación de las leyes migratorias deben recibir respuestas, no ambigüedades.
Los organismos de control y los legisladores deben decidir si los límites entre los sectores público y privado se están volviendo demasiado difusos en actividades locales importantes y si las protecciones existentes son suficientes para defender los derechos civiles. Cualquier cosa que no sea democracia fomenta la desconfianza, el miedo y el conflicto; por otro lado, la democracia prospera abiertamente.
The OC Reporter 