The ICE assault of a disabled student walking to school on Oct. 21 still reverberates throughout Santa Maria. The just outrage is growing. The unhinged cruelty and arrogance of ICE, running rampant through Santa Maria and the 805, calls into question: why here?
I would like to suggest a major contributing factor not seen in other communities, our nonresponsive and oftentimes complicit seated majority in the Santa Maria City Council. Once again, with the exception of Councilmember Gloria Soto, the City Council consistently fails at its primary duty to keep the community it serves safe. This fecklessness has been in full blatant display since last year, first, when they were unwilling to form a preliminary task force on immigration and now, being loudly silent as our neighbors face direct attacks by ICE. This mayor and City Council has abandoned their residents.
Instead of being an “All-America City” and “a great place to live, work, and play,” we are now a city that lets thugs do their will on its citizens and co-signs fear and intimidation.
The news of both what occurred at Allan Hancock College and with the Santa Maria High School disabled student placed our community on the national radar over the last few weeks, from the Kansas City Star to the Miami Herald, from El Pais in Madrid, Spain, to Libero in Peru. The world is watching the brutality and injustice happening on our streets.
There was a protest and march on Oct. 24 to say enough is enough! Many local nonprofits, the Assembly office, and citizens from all over the county showed up and spoke up against the violence against our community. Just one elected official attended from Santa Maria City Council, Gloria Soto.
Santa Maria City Council, we demand that you do the bare minimum, condemn ICE’s assault on our people and enforce state laws including SB 54, the California Values Act; AB 4, the TRUST Act; and SB 937, which forbids law enforcement from using flash-bang grenades to stop protests.
Santa Marians: Californians and the whole country are now watching you.
Shirlee Heitman
Santa Maria
This article appears in November 5 – November 12, 2026.
