An Irvine city councilmember in an Instagram post encouraged undocumented people to stay home on Thursday, June 12, after learning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would be in the city throughout the day.
Later, about 200 people gathered by Angel Stadium to protest ICE activities in Orange County and elsewhere. As the Anaheim demonstration grew, some people climbed street poles to wave Mexican flags and around a dozen others stood in the middle of the street as cars drove by.
Eventually, the protest turned into dancing in the streets, and then someone lit a firecracker, and at about 8 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly.
In her Instagram post earlier, Irvine City Councilmember Kathleen Treseder wrote, “We have been informed that immigration agents will be in eight to 10 locations in Irvine today. Orchard Hills being one of them. If you are concerned about your status, please stay home.”
Treseder said in a call with a reporter that Irvine City Manager Oliver Chi alerted her by phone earlier Thursday that ICE agents would be in the city. ICE officials informed Irvine city staff about their presence, and Chi, in turn, informed her.
Treseder said she did not have more information about the locations where she heard ICE agents would be, other than a “hint” she received that one of those locations would be in Orchard Hills.
“I don’t want ICE in our city,” she said.
The Irvine Police Department also was notified by federal authorities Thursday morning about operations planned in the city, department spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp said.
“We do not believe that they are going to be doing random arrests,” Oldoerp said, but instead would be targeting known criminal offenders.
While Irvine police did not directly interact with ICE, Oldoerp later confirmed that federal agents were in town.
Early in the afternoon, ICE informed the department of several planned locations, including Orchard Hills, Oldoerp said, but he was unable to disclose the others.
“We did not participate in any activity,” Oldoerp said.
ICE agents were also reportedly in Pearson Park and surrounding areas in Anaheim Thursday morning, according to the Orange County Rapid Response Network. At least one person was arrested, the organization said.
On Thursday evening, dozens of protesters rallying in front of Angel Stadium flashed their anger at federal immigration sweeps throughout the region and reports of activity in Anaheim.
Protesters marched back and forth on State College Boulevard carrying anti-ICE signs. The demonstration, which began at 5 p.m., was peaceful with no visible police presence nearby, though a drone was flying overhead.
“I just feel that some of these things, not that they’re unconstitutional, they’re just immoral,” said Rudy Acosta, 43, of Anaheim, about the immigration raids. “Just grabbing people out of their homes, snatching them from their workplace.”
Anaheim resident Ana Doaa, 40, leaned on the Big A sign under Mike Trout’s photo and jumped and cheered with every supportive honk from cars and delivery trucks. Doaa said many in the community are afraid to go out right now.
“There’s not too many people at the stores, the mall, either,” Doaa said. “It’s empty.”
The city of Anaheim issued a statement saying, “Events throughout our region are a reminder that federal agencies can come into any city, and immigration enforcement is taking place. As a reminder, Anaheim Police and the entire city of Anaheim (are) not involved in federal immigration enforcement.”
One protester said about 10 Anaheim police officers were stationed on motorcycles a few blocks from the demonstration. By 7 p.m. they had moved in closer, watching the crowd from about 75 yards away before leaving.
But the demonstration seemed to culminate just before sunset, with dozens of people dancing in the street, surrounded by cars on all sides. Traffic was backed up but slowly getting through.
Then someone set off a firework, and police were visible again. An order to disperse came shortly before 8 p.m., and the crowd quickly thinned.
As people turned onto Orangewood Avenue, apartment dwellers cheered from their balconies.
Walking down the street, Jesus Lopez, 26 of Irvine, said it was an overwhelming moment.
It was his first protest.
“There’s a lot of people that I know that are undocumented and don’t deserve to be deported,” Lopez said. “There’s nothing that makes me different from them. There’s no reason to deport them because they were born somewhere else and haven’t done anything wrong.”
The Angels weren’t playing Thursday and will begin a series against the Orioles in Baltimore on Friday.
No information was available as of 6 p.m. as to how many people ICE may have arrested in Orange County on Thursday.
