Elected officials and leaders from across Ventura County gathered Friday to address growing concerns about immigration enforcement and reaffirm the community’s values of inclusion and justice.
Speaking directly to Ventura’s immigrant community and the broader public, the event highlighted local leadership’s commitment to humane policy, community protection, and civil rights defense for all.
“Our immigrant families deserve dignity, not fear. Ventura County must be a place where all residents feel safe, protected, and supported—regardless of where they were born,” said Ventura County Supervisor Vianey Lopez.
Speakers at the event included Vianey Lopez, County Supervisor, District 5; Father Tom Elewaut, Pastor of Mission Basilica San Buenaventura; David Newman, Mayor, City of Thousand Oaks; Bruce Stenslie, President/CEO, Economic Development Collaborative (EDC); Gabe Teran, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Oxnard; Rabbi Lisa Hochberg-Miller, Temple Beth Torah; Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, PsyD, Councilmember, City of Camarillo and Executive Director, Friends of Fieldworkers; Dr. Felix Nuñez, CEO, Gold Coast Health Plan; Helen McGrath, fifth-generation member of the McGrath farming family; and Dr. Ana DeGenna, Superintendent, Oxnard School District.
“Our Immigrant Community has always been a major piece of the foundation of Ventura County. The targeting and scapegoating of these key members of our community not only inflicts unjust trauma on this vulnerable population, but it also sends negative social and economic ripples that will affect every corner of our county, state, and nation. As one of your Ventura County elected officials, and Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Oxnard, I join thousands of our fellow community members and stand firmly in support of our Immigrant Community – and invite you to join us as well,” said Gabe Teran, Mayor Pro Tem of Oxnard.
Others standing in support were Mayor of Santa Paula Pedro Chavez, Mayor of Oxnard Luis McArthur, Mayor of Fillmore Christina Villaseñor.
“We are stronger when we lead with compassion. In Thousand Oaks and across the county, we must reject division and stand together to defend the rights of our neighbors,” said David Newman, Mayor of Thousand Oaks.
“As both a local elected official and nonprofit executive for farmworker families, I’ve seen firsthand the trauma and dehumanization that harsh federal enforcement creates. We must confront these injustices with unified leadership and unwavering commitment to human rights,” said Dr. Martita Martinez-Bravo, Camarillo City Councilmember and Executive Director, Friends of Fieldworkers.
Those standing in support also included:
- Albert Mendez, Mayor Pro Tem, Fillmore
- Jess Lopez, Mayor Pro Tem, Port Hueneme
- Liz Campos, Councilmember, City of Ventura
- Leslie Rule, Councilmember, City of Ojai
- Ryyn Schumacher, Councilmember, City of Ventura
- Laura D. Hernandez, Councilmember, City of Port Hueneme
- Michaela Perez, Councilmember, City of Oxnard
- C. Tie Gutierrez, Councilmember, City of Thousand Oaks
- Gabriela Basua, Councilmember, City of Oxnard
- Susan Santangelo, Councilmember, City of Camarillo
- Jenny Crosswhite, Councilmember, Santa Paula
- Bev Dransfeldt, Chair, Pleasant Valley Recreation & Park District
- Ashley Orozco, Director, Conejo Recreation & Park District
- James A. Merrill, Board President, Ocean View School District
- Lisa Powell, President, Conejo Valley Unified School District
- Atticus Reyes, President, Ojai Unified School District
- Blair Braney, Board Clerk, Ojai Unified School District
- Doug McDowell, Trustee, Pleasant Valley School District
- Shannon Fredericks, Trustee, Ventura County School District
- Jeremy Goldberg, Executive Director, Central Coast Labor Council
- Carson V. Acosta, Union Representative, SEIU Local 721
- Robert O’Riley, District Representative for Congressman Salud Carbajal
- Lupe Lopez, District Representative for Senator Monique Limon
- LiUNA Local 585
- Amber Thompson, District Delegate, 38th Assembly
- Pastor Jim McIver, Mission Church, Ventura
- Rev. Benjamin Thomas, Jr., Bethel AME Church, Oxnard
- Rev. Melissa Campbell-Langdell, All Saints/Todos Santos Episcopal Church, Oxnard
- Cynthia M. Jones-Campbell, Associate Director for Racial Relations, Archdiocese of Los Angeles
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Good for these leaders for standing up to the abjectly cruel and often illegal actions of ICE and other masked, unidentified bounty hunters. Tracking down and deporting known violent criminals with a warrant is one thing and is not objectionable at all. Everyone supports that. But this, this terrorizing of otherwise innocent people with no criminal record as they go to church or work or the courthouse, THIS IS WRONG and more local leaders need to take a stand and speak out in support of dignity, the rule of law and basic human decency.
Thank God for these fine people actually taking a stand for our fellow man.
Everyone talks about ” Christian Values”, but these people are actually expressing them.
Thank you!
This is no longer a right vs left, conservative vs liberal split in our country anymore. It’s come down to basic good vs evil in my opinion.
You can’t support what Trump is doing and honestly believe you’re a good person. Well, unless you’re extremely unintelligent/uneducated.
Damn, THIS is taking a stand! Wow.