California official criticized for appearing to call on gangs to intervene in immigration raids
LOS Angeles – The vice -mayor of a small town in southern California is under fire after seeming to appeal to street gangs to organize against immigration swings by federal agents in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.
In a video article on the social networks that has since been deleted, Cynthia Gonzalez, vice-mayor of Cudahy, referred to two well-known street gangs and wondered why gang members did not protest or did not speak of immigration raids. She said that ordinary citizens are those of the street who protest against the presence of federal agents.
“You label everything, claiming the hood, and now that your hood is invaded by the biggest gang there is, there is no glance of you,” said Gonzalez.
She referred to “18th Street” and “Florence”, two infamous street gangs, and seemed to speak directly to their members. She said that we, immigration and customs’ application agents, “bring us to all ways”.
“We are there to fight our lawn, protecting our lawn, protecting our people and, as, where are you?” She said.
The Ministry of Internal Security qualified Gonzalez’s comments as “despicable” and said that the remarks will contribute to the increase in attacks on federal ice agents.
“She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious gang of the 18th street – to commit violence against our brave of the application of immigration and customs laws,” said the department in an article on X which included Gonzalez’s video. “Secretary Noem has been clear: if you are attacking a federal officer, you will be prosecuted to the best extent of the law.”
The Los Angeles Times reported that the police union, officially known as Los Angeles Police Protective League, called for the resignation of the mayor of Vice and possible prosecution.
“What Ms. Gonzalez has urged and narrated these specific gangs to do in her social media post puts police and other professionals in the application of laws to more. Her actions are deplorable and potentially illegal. She should resign and she should be continued if what she called for having broken the law,” said the union.
Gonzalez did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The video comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has aggressively intensified immigration arrests in the Los Angeles region in recent weeks. Ice agents, as well as the border patrol, were seen to arrest and hold people in their workplaces, and Trump deployed the National Guard and the Marines to protect federal buildings and custody officers procedures for arrests.
The remarks seem to break with the main Californian officials – including the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass – who urged residents to peacefully exercise their rights to the first amendment.
A spokesperson for the American prosecutor’s office for the California central district, which includes the County of Los Angeles, refused to comment when he was asked if Gonzalez was the subject of an investigation.
According to his biography on the city’s website, Gonzalez grew up in Huntington Park, the daughter of immigrant parents. She has two daughters.
She obtained a baccalaureate from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Later, she obtained two master’s degree in education from the University of California in Los Angeles, where she also obtained a doctorate in education leadership, said the website.
Gonzalez has worked for Los Angeles Unified School District as a teacher and director of the school in the Los Angeles region and is currently director of support and innovation pilot schools, the biography said.
He says that Gonzalez “is passionate about the creation of healthy and safe communities that allow students and families to lead a healthy and significant life”.
The school district said in a statement sent by email: “On June 1, 2025, Cynthia Gonzales was on leave. We are aware of the situation and we examine in accordance with the district policy. However, due to the confidentiality of personnel issues, we are unable to comment on this.”
The city of Cudahy said in a statement on Tuesday that she was aware of the video.
“The comments made by the Mayor Vice reflect his personal opinions and do not represent the views or the official position of the city of Cudahy,” the statement said. “The city will not make additional comments.”
According to the county archives, Gonzalez was elected in 2022 with 880 votes. The municipal elections in California are non -partisan – the festive labels do not appear on the ballot.
Cudahy is a suburb of Los Angeles which houses 22,000 residents, about 10 miles (16.09 kilometers) south of downtown. According to American census data, 97% of residents are Hispanic or Latinos.
