Dear Community Members,
In the face of recent ICE raids across Ventura County targeting bakeries, strawberry fields, and even shopping malls, I want to express my deep concern for the individuals and families impacted by these cruel and unnecessary actions. These raids are faceless, heartless, and do not reflect the values of our community.
I want to commend Mayor Enegren of Moorpark, the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, and local leaders at the City of Thousand Oaks and Ventura County for reaffirming their commitment to upholding California law. Under SB 54, our state does not and will not cooperate or coordinate with ICE raids targeting law-abiding immigrants within our communities.
Under the Biden Administration, California has deported over 10,000 violent criminals in cooperation with federal law enforcement, and we will continue to remove individuals who pose a true threat to public safety. But that’s not who what the Trump Administration is after. They are targeting busboys, farmworkers, and elementary school children. These attacks are not about law and order they are about fear and intimidation.
We will not be moved.
I also want to acknowledge the powerful and peaceful protests carried out by millions under the banner of #NoKings. I am grateful for those who stood tall, rejecting authoritarianism and standing in defense of democracy and human dignity. Our disagreement is not with local law enforcement, but with the wannabe dictator in the White House who would rather pit our military against its own people than listen to their cries for justice.
We must keep defying these bullies with the bravest weapon we have: nonviolence.
Finally, I mourn the loss of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and extend my heartfelt prayers to Senator John Hoffman and his spouse as they recover. Violence has no place in our democracy, and we must remain united in our resistance to hate and fear.
In strength and solidarity,
Senator Henry Stern
More on the California Values Act:
18-10-CJIS: California Values Act's Database Guidance
Know Your Rights:
Know Your Immigration Rights[88].pdf
Know Your Immigration Rights-Spanish.pdf
Need legal aid?
ACLU SoCal: (213) 977-9500
CA DOJ: (800) 952-5225