With ongoing protests in Los Angeles surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly unlawfully arresting people, Santa Barbara law enforcement has released statements addressing their actions and perspectives on the situation.
Police Chief Kelly Gordon: Focused on Community Trust and Peaceful Protests
Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon reaffirmed the city’s stance on immigration enforcement and the constitutional right to protest, highlighting the police department’s commitment to community safety and inclusivity.
In her press release, Chief Gordon emphasized that the department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement, citing California’s SB 54 legislation, known as the California Values Act.
“Our focus is on community safety, building trust, and ensuring that victims and witnesses of crime feel safe coming forward without fear of deportation or discrimination,” Chief Gordon stated.
While underscoring the importance of peaceful demonstrations, she also urged protesters to remain nonviolent and protect the integrity of their cause. “When individuals engage in acts that threaten public safety, damage property, or harm others, our department will act swiftly and decisively to separate agitators from lawful demonstrators… Our goal is always to de-escalate tensions, facilitate dialogue, and support safe, lawful expression.”
She further noted the department’s pride in serving a diverse community and reiterated a commitment to dignity, fairness, and compassion for all residents, irrespective of their immigration status.
Sheriff Bill Brown: Santa Barbara County Personnel Deployed to Los Angeles
In response to a mutual aid request from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has dispatched 32 personnel to Los Angeles to assist local law enforcement agencies. According to Sheriff Bill Brown, the team is focused on securing buildings and maintaining public safety amidst what he described as “violent disturbances.”
Sheriff Brown stressed that Santa Barbara personnel are not engaging in immigration enforcement in Los Angeles, instead rendering aid to protect communities. “Our agency remains committed to ensuring public safety and supporting our law enforcement partners and the Southern California community,” Brown said.
He called attention to the destructive nature of recent protests, asserting that “The events unfolding… are far from peaceful First Amendment protests. We are witnessing destructive attacks on private property and targeted attacks on law enforcement officers, both of which are completely unacceptable.”
Sheriff Brown also acknowledged Santa Barbara County’s reliance on mutual aid from Los Angeles during past emergencies, such as wildfires, and characterized the present deployment as a reciprocal effort to support ally agencies.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office BearCat out in downtown LA this evening pic.twitter.com/ZDx3k7jO3M
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 11, 2025
Largely Peaceful Protests in Los Angeles
Protests against ICE events in Los Angeles have drawn widespread attention, with many participants describing the largely peaceful nature of the demonstrations.
While there are a handful of examples of property destruction, the majority of protests are peaceful with reporters on the scene pointing to law enforcement as the source of physical escalation. The Los Angeles Times breaks down the events of the protests so far and fact checks misinformation that is spreading throughout social media about “violence” during the protests.
As of Tuesday evening, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles that began at 8:00 p.m. and expired at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass have admonished the Trump Administration for unlawfully sending the National Guard and the U.S. Marines to Los Angeles.
On Wednesday evening, Gov. Newsom addressed the state in a video stating democracy is at a crossroads with Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles and warned that these actions mark a dangerous inflection point for the nation.
Local Politicians Speak Out
U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal, a member of the House Armed Services Committee who represents Santa Barbara, released the statement below following the Trump Administration’s deployment of Marines in Los Angeles.
“Deploying Marines into a major American city sets an extremely dangerous precedent,” said Rep. Carbajal. “Marines on the streets of Los Angeles – in addition to the 2,000 National Guard troops Trump sent despite the disapproval from Governor Newsom – will do nothing to de-escalate or prevent violence. Instead, it will likely have the opposite effect. As a Marine myself, I won’t stay silent as Trump tries to politicize our servicemembers and use them to create more chaos because he wants to distract the country as he works to cut Americans’ health care, veterans’ benefits, food assistance, and more.”
On Tuesday, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) demanded answers regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to deploy approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles.
In their letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, the Senators requested that the Administration clarify and provide the legal authority that purports to grant the President and the Department of Defense the ability to deploy active-duty military personnel on American streets.
“The presence of the Marines was not requested by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, or California Governor Gavin Newsom. Moreover, local and state law enforcement officers are carrying out their missions to protect the public amid ongoing immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel. We strongly oppose this deployment and request you clarify the legal authority that purports to grant the President and you the ability to deploy active-duty personnel on American streets under these circumstances,” wrote the Senators.
“A decision to deploy active-duty military personnel within the United States should only be undertaken during the most extreme circumstances, and these are not them. That this deployment was made over the objections of state authorities is all the more unjustifiable. In this instance, this extraordinary action was also irresponsibly rushed and lacked clear communication to government officials or the U.S. public. The notification from NORTHCOM did not provide critical information to understand the legal authority, mission, or rules of engagement for Marines involved in this domestic deployment,” continued the Senators.
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What a difference between the responses of Gordon and Brown.
She is the example he should be following.
First blush impression is in agreement with Anonymous, with the Chief tacking to the middle, whereas Sheriff Brown appears a bit biased. “Law and order” needs to be maintained but the context underpinning Trump’s action is lawless at worst and minimally inflammatory and predictable.
Why does Santa Barbara need a military BearCat? Our police departments shouldn’t be militarized.
Back in the college kids’ protest to engaging in warfare on Viet Nam, it was widely rumored that the violence against property and other people was from outside aggitators. In the time since, that has been supported. Same with the various race riots: Any of this sort of things is likely to draw other people widely. Even those who attended the January 6th event were not locals a locally organized.
LUVADUCK – true, but comparing out of towners coming to local protests to start trouble to Jan 6 is WAY, WAY OFF.
Jan 6, outside groups were widely and publicly invited. That was the whole attraction about it. It was a nationwide call to arms.
The local BLM protests and the regional protests we see now are IN NO WAY the same.