Panelists at “ICE Raids and Response” forum. At right, District 2 Councilmember Rick Cole. [Photos: Office of Councilmember Rick Cole / Andre Coleman, Pasadena Now]
More than 140 people gathered at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School Tuesday night for a community forum on the recent raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that have sparked fear and anger across Pasadena.
The forum, hosted by District 2 Councilmember Rick Cole, was part of his monthly issue series. Titled “ICE Raids and Response,” the event drew not only in-person attendees but additional livestream viewers as well.
“This is a deeply emotional issue, and people have deeply felt beliefs about immigration in our country,” Cole said in opening remarks. “And so the most important thing I hope we accomplish tonight is that if there’s a difference of opinion, and I expect there will be, is that we listen to each other with respect.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in recent weeks have included high-profile detentions, such as the arrest of four day laborers at a bus stop near Los Robles and Orange Grove.
Two weeks ago, the Pasadena City Council voted unanimously to join a Federal lawsuit challenging ICE’s operations, along with Los Angeles County and several local cities. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against ICE’s methods — a ruling the Trump administration has appealed.
Due to high interest and summer heat, the monthly forum was moved from its usual venue at Jefferson School to the larger auditorium at Thurgood Marshall Secondary School.
The evening featured a panel discussion moderated by Cole and included Vice Mayor Jess Rivas; Pablo Alvarado, Co-Executive Director of the National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON); Cal Soto, Workers Rights Director at NDLON; and Leslie Chang, a volunteer Campaign Coordinator with DSA-LA.
Alvarado described how children of immigrants are struggling with the fear and confusion created by these raids.
“There’s uncertainty and there is anger, especially among young kids,” Alvarado said. “They see their parents get up at five in the morning and come back at 5, 6, 7 pm. That’s what they see. They don’t see an invader. They don’t see a criminal. They don’t see a rapist. They don’t see a burglar. They see a father and a mother.”
Soto criticized ICE for targeting workers instead of the businesses that hire them.
“They’re not arresting the poultry plant owners who violate labor rights,” Soto said. “They’re arresting the people standing outside a Winchell’s or a Home Depot because they have brown skin or speak a different language.”
During the public comment portion, the room reflected a microcosm of the national divide—intensely differing views, but also moments of shared concern.
Pasadena Unified School Board Member Scott Harden urged the community to support local schools, emphasizing that all children, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to an education in this country. Others raised constitutional and faith-based arguments both for and against expanded protections for undocumented immigrants.
One resident decried the prioritization of services for undocumented individuals, prompting strong pushback from other attendees who defended immigrant rights as constitutionally protected and rooted in shared humanity. “If the government can exclude some people from rights, it can exclude all of us,” another speaker argued.
Panelists and residents alike stressed the need for practical action — legal support, electoral engagement, community organizing, and protecting sensitive locations like schools and churches. The overarching message: in the face of rising federal enforcement, Pasadena’s response should be rooted in unity, compassion, and law.
“I’m heartened that we could tackle such a timely and emotional topic in a constructive and pro-active way,” Cole commented afterwards. “By ourselves, Pasadena can’t fix America’s broken immigration ‘system.’ However, we can stand together against the arbitrary cruelty of heavily-armed masked agents in unmarked cars targeting people on our streets on the basis of their looks. Pasadena can be a model for a humane and sensible approach to our nation’s immigration challenges. That’s not what we’ve seen in our streets with these raids. Through civil dialogue, legal advocacy, immigrant assistance and peaceful protest, we can ensure all our neighbors feel safe.”
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