Several cities in California have canceled or postponed their Independence Day celebrations, citing federal immigration enforcement operations as the main concern. These decisions, made in areas with large illegal immigrant populations, have sparked backlash for prioritizing non-citizens over honoring America’s founding.
Key Facts:
- Multiple cities in Los Angeles County, including Cudahy and Bell Gardens, canceled July 4th events, citing fears of ICE enforcement.
- Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez faced calls to resign after appearing to call on street gangs to resist ICE.
- Bell Gardens promoted “Know Your Rights” immigration workshops in place of holiday events.
- Boyle Heights and nearby neighborhoods delayed celebrations to August, directly blaming ICE presence.
- Officials linked to the cancellations have ties to previous anti-ICE riots and arrests.
The Rest of The Story:
In the days leading up to Independence Day, several California cities quietly canceled their festivities.
Cudahy’s July 3rd event was “postponed” over safety concerns, without directly naming ICE.
Other cities like Bell Gardens and Boyle Heights were more explicit, halting celebrations due to a federal immigration presence in their neighborhoods.
Bell Gardens’ notice acknowledged that “concerns for resident safety over federal immigration enforcement” drove the cancellations.
The city has since promoted immigration workshops online, urging residents not to open their doors to ICE agents and to remain silent.
The controversy deepened when Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez called on Los Angeles street gangs in a now-deleted video, accusing them of being silent while ICE, “the biggest gang,” entered their turf.
Her remarks caused public outrage and drew condemnation from law enforcement groups and residents.
Hellbound and Down 