John, 

As the son of immigrants, I am appalled by the events unfolding in Los Angeles and across the country these past few days. My family, like many others, came to this country in search of a better life for their children.

Immigrants are the backbone of this nation, and no one’s humanity should be defined by a 9-digit Social Security number. President Trump’s actions this weekend to deploy California’s National Guard against civilians is an abuse of power – not a solution to our broken immigration system. Our president has already crippled our local labor force by raiding workplaces; now, he is using our armed forces to terrorize our friends, neighbors, and community leaders.

Militarizing our cities is unacceptable. While I urge Californians to engage in peaceful protest and never condone violence, local authorities must also be able to do their jobs without the federal government creating chaos and destruction.

As the son of immigrants and an educator, I am disgusted by Congressman Valadao’s complicity and silence, as he continues to rubber stamp the Trump administration's agenda with every vote that he takes.

Thank you,

Randy Villegas