Santa Maria youth respond to stepped-up ICE enforcement

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Fed up with the federal government’s policies and their impact on communities like his in Santa Maria, 17-year-old Cesar Vasquez recently shifted the focus of his organization, La Cultura Del Mundo.

“We are here to protect all immigrants—no matter where you are from, who you believe in, who you love, or where you stand,” Vasquez said during public comment at Santa Maria’s July 1 City Council meeting. “Join us on Aug. 1 for La Marcha De La Puebla, as we show immigrants across the United States that they are the heroes, not the villains that history has written them to be.”

That day, Vasquez and La Cultura Del Mundo will lead La Marcha De La Puebla: Heroes Not Villains, starting at noon at Santa Maria City Hall, located at 110 E. Cook St. 

This year, Vasquez converted his life skill workshop-oriented community group into a political movement. He started organizing the upcoming event in May to combat the Trump administration’s push against undocumented immigrants and end Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. 

“The No Kings Day protests were really good at targeting one person, but they only targeted that one person,” Vasquez told the Sun. “Our goal is to build a sustainable movement that defends millions of people instead of attacking one person for one day.”

Seeking to create a campaign that grows, Vasquez said he’s been establishing and nurturing relationships with organizers across the country. The march currently has commitments for supporting protests from activists in 12 other states: Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

“In other states, multiple cities are protesting,” Vasquez said. “We want to ensure Santa Maria is the only one in California, so we can bring together as many people as possible and show the power we have when unified. I have people coming from the Bay, LA, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard.”

Vasquez said he designed La Marcha De La Puebla to bring people together.

“We’ll release flyers in different languages, so immigrants from European and African countries can feel included and know this is not just for immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries, it’s for all immigrants across the U.S.,” he said.

Jesus Herrera Romero, 17, part of La Cultura Del Mundo’s public relations team, told the Sun he met Vasquez in February, when he organized Righetti High School for Vasquez’s walkout of middle school to college students across Santa Barbara County.

Herrera Romero said his friends and family members are so on edge due to ICE raids, they get scared when they see black or white SUVs or the green stripe on the side of park rangers’ trucks.

“We’re going to be pushing for different resolutions across the U.S. that support immigrants, so we can build up from the local level,” Vasquez said. “We’re trying to build this movement locally, so other local governments will feel pressure to support immigrants, and, from there, establish safety nets across the country.”

Running La Cultura Del Mundo isn’t all he does to support the immigrant community. As a responder for 805UndocuFund’s Rapid Response Network, Vasquez patrols Santa Maria for ICE officers or impersonators.

“Someone recently asked me what I’m fighting for,” Vasquez said. “Yes, I’m fighting for immigrants to stay together with their families and for field workers to get higher pay. Yes, I’ve fought for environmental justice, women’s rights, and educational equity, and against violence. But, in life, my goal is to fight for hope.”

This article appears in Jul 10-20, 2025.