11/07/2025
As our first Latine elected in Redmond, and a military veteran, thank you for allowing me to provide clarity of intent.
At a special meeting held on Monday, November 3, 2000 2025 when I said that “it is upon the community to fight back against ICE, my intent was not to call for physical confrontation or unlawful resistance. I was speaking to the moral and civic responsibility of neighbors, faith communities and local leaders to stand up for one another when federal immigration enforcement actions sow fear in our cities.
Because our local police are legally prohibited from interfering and federal immigration operations, our residents often feel powerless when community members are detained or deported. My point was that, in those moments “fighting back” means exercising our community power: knowing our rights offering legal aid, sharing information, organizing rapid response support, and ensure no one faces intimidation or detention alone.
At the heart of this is a commitment to the constitutional protections we all share under the Fourth and Fifth Amendments: the right to be free from unreasonable, searches, and seizures, and the right to do process under the law. Upholding these rights is not an active defiance - it is an affirmation of the American values in the rule of law.
Our community’s strength lies in our compassion and solidarity. Protecting all residents - regardless of immigration status - is a matter of public safety and human dignity. I remain committed to lawful nonviolent community based actions that affirm those values.