California City Approves $100,000 in Emergency Funding to Support Families Affected by Recent ICE Raids

"The recent ICE raids have left a lot of families torn, traumatized and without a safety net," said Mayor Salvador Melendez during the meeting, as reported by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. "Wherever you are in the political sphere, it's just wrong to tear families apart."

The council's decision comes on the heels of heightened immigration enforcement across Southern California, including a high-profile ICE operation at a swap meet in nearby Santa Fe Springs and reported detentions in Montebello itself.

According to an in-depth report by The Guardian from last month, at the height of the protests, video footage showed armed agents detaining at least two U.S. citizens in Montebello, including Jason Brian Gavidia, who was questioned about his birthplace and physically restrained before being released.

"This is racial profiling. They're stopping folks because of the way they look," Melendez told The Guardian back then. "ICE agents are terrorizing our community. They are taking actions and asking questions later. There is absolutely no due process."

Montebello officials said ICE did not notify the city of its presence and emphasized that neither the city nor its police department participates in immigration enforcement. A statement on the city's official Facebook page clarified that Montebello does not house detainees or cooperate with federal immigration agencies:

The Montebello Humanitarian Services Program will be managed by city staff under HIPAA confidentiality rules and aims to provide accessible and secure support for those affected. Officials have also been distributing "Red Cards" with legal rights information at city locations.

"We are hard-working families, families and community members who deserve stability, dignity, regardless of their immigration status," said Melendez.