Politics

By Miriam Raftery

January 30, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – Eleven people have applied to fill a vacancy on the Lemon Grove City Council created when former Councilmember Alysson Snow won the mayoral election.  The City Council will interview the applicants during the Feb.4 Council meeting at 6 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Community Center. View the full agenda including candidate applications: https://events.lemongrove.ca.gov/council.

The Council previously approved filling the vacancy via appointment, to avoid a costly election. The appointee chosen will serve the remainder of the term, which expires in December 2026.

Applications included detailed questions about candidates’ backgrounds and goals, though some did not identify policy objectives.

The applicants, in order of their interview times, are as follows, along with highlights from their applications:

Cody Littleton: Ani internet recruiter, he has served as Vice President of Urban League Young Professionals, as a corporate liaison, and volunteered with GEICO Cares/United Way. He says his goal if appointed would be first to learn about key issues, foster meaningful community engagement, and work to strengthen relationships with external organizations and boards. He has training as a facilitator, including conflict resolution skills.

James G. Stout:  His community involvement has been serving on the board of directors at Faith Chapel and Lifepoint Church, teaching Bible study, and serving as treasurer at Lifepoint Church. He has worked as a machinist and inspector. He cites endorsements from other pastor. His goals include being an “advocate for the people” and to help the city become “healthy and strong.”

Jay Bass: His community and governmental experience include serving as a trustee of the Lemon Grove School District, commissioner on the city’s planning commission, member of the Lemon Grove Community Advisory Committee and Revitalize Broadway Lemon Grove, as well as the Lemon Grove Historical Society, Lions Club, Latino Diversified Lions Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and soccer coach. A Navy veteran who is now retired, he has worked for the Port of San Diego and the San Diego International Airport. His goals include assuring funds are spent responsibly, supporting local businesses, creating a business-friendly environment to foster growth, assure worker retention and instill community pride.

Kenneth J. Davies: He did not provide a resume or list any community involvement.  A 25-year resident, he is concerned that streets need repair and about trash along roadsides.  He has a master’s degree in computer programming, and says, “I care about Lemon Grove and want to see it preserved.”

Meredith Rae Levin: A law professor, licensed attorney with USD legal clinics, she works to assist domestic violence victims. She has served as president of the Crime Victims Fund and cochair of the SDCBA family law section. She was a founder of the San Diego family Law Bar.  She wants to fix roads, bring in new business, learn from diverse views, and come up with “sensible, compassionate ways to address home businesses.:

Minola Clark Manson: Director of workforce development healthcare for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, she has a master’s in psychology and extensive experience including managinga$15 million budget, serving as training and development director for the County’s Health and Human Services agency, and other professional positions. She’s a Lemon Grove Planning Commissioner and involved in numerous local service organizations, including as President of Soroptomists, helping with Lemon Grove cleanup, food distribution and more. She wants to increase the city’s resource development through grants and new businesses, improve transparency and community involvement at Council meetings.

Oyuki Littleton: An office administrator, customer relations specialist and 7-year resident of Lemon Grove, she wants clarification on the county’s tiny homes project for the homeless on Troy Street and to find measures that can be taken to assure children and residents are safe. She also wants to repair and strengthen communication between residents and councilmembers to restore unity.

Robert Holaday: A Lemon Grove native and licensed realtor, he has served as Chairman of the Lemon Grove Planning Commission when the city was incorporated, as president of the Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce, and on the citizens advisory committee for the 1980 Community Plan. He has been active in College Avenue Baptist Church, and helped form the Lemon Grove Little League. His goals include improving Lemon Grove’s image, being frugal with money, and seeking out new revenue sources.    

Robert M. Rael:  A systems engineer and webmaster with a degree in film and media, Rael has lived in Lemon Grove for 15 years and plans to start a business here. He was previously in Normal Heights, where he was involved in a a business association, newspaper, and cultural council.  He lists one goal,  “to represent my peers, as well as pass information along to my peers.”

Seth Smith: An architect and Chair of the Lemon Grove Planning Commission, he is also involved in the Busy Bees Garden Co-op, farmer’s market, Latino Diversifed Lions Club, and Revitalize Broadway efforts in Lemon Grove as well as youth sports, food distributions, and as youth leader at Grace Communion. He also donates his architectural services for Thrive Lemon Grove. He wants to set up efficient systems for the city to use revenue from the newly passed ballot measure to repair/improve city infrastructure such as streets, sidewalks and storm drains, implement policies to remove blight and diversity the types of businesses downtown, and promote policies to encourage access to housing through General Plan updates. He lists numerous endorsements, including the city’s firefighters.

Yadira Altamirano: A former Lemon Grove City Councilmember and small business owner, she has been on the board of softball and girls fast pitch organizations, as well as the Mt.. Vernon Educational Foundation and Lemon Grove toy drive. Her volunteer efforts have included youth mentorship, homeless ministry and food drives through Rock Church Homeless Ministry. She wants to reopen the rec center 5-7 days a week, encourage commercial landlords to rent vacant properties, get more businesses to invest in Lemon Grove, assure that new sales tax revenue is used for infrastructure and road repairs, have bathroom access on weekends, a pedestrian-friendly downtown that is aesthetically improved, and bring back the Old Times Parade.

By Miriam Raftery

View video of full Council hearing (Immigration agenda item begins at 37 minutes.)

January 29, 2025 – Emotions ran high during yesterday’s El Cajon City Council meeting, where a packed chamber heard testimony from 88 members of the public over a proposed over immigration enforcement resolution, followed by a heated Council debate that divided the all-Republican members during a hearing that ran over five hours.

The measure introduced by Mayor Wells, a revision from a version heard two weeks ago, aims to authorize El Cajon police to comply with federal immigration enforcement officials within the limits of state law and the Constitution for the purpose of removing violent criminals.

But the action comes on the same day that the White House Press Secretary indicated that the Trump administration views all undocumented immigrants as “criminals” even though crossing the border itself is a misdemeanor on the first offense, not a felony or violent crime.

Sweeps by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun nationwide, picking up many immigrants with no criminal record—including an El Cajon man with no criminal record who was awaiting his asylum hearing when arrested  this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his home in front of his five-year-old daughter, Councilman Michelle Metschel revealed in an impassioned speech.

“If this was just about violent criminals, I would be all for it,” Metschel (photo, right) said. “But today is a pivotal moment,” she added, noting that the Council’s decision would “change the course of history” for the city and many of its residents. She said El Cajon’s biggest crime problem was drug criminals comprising a portion of the homeless population, “not a single father raising his young girl, who was arrested down the street from me...He worked a full-time job and had a court date to become legal...His only crime was to come across the border.”

(Editor's note: the name of the arrested immigrant is Ulysses Gomez, according to Councilmember Metschel. ECM has learned that a man by this name had two prior arrests locally, according to the city manager, but that individual was never charged with or convicted of any crime, according to Court records. See full details in an update at the bottom of this story.)

Metschel made clear that she does not support El Cajon become a sanctuary city and wants to see violent criminals removed, but could not support the resolution after several dozen speakers voiced fears of authorities targeting people with brown skin and having to carry citizenship papers to avoid being sent to detention, and that many parents are now afraid to send their children to school, or report crimes to police. “This makes us look like racists. I want no part of it,.” Metschel affirmed, voicing dismay at "hateful rhetoric" by some speakers.

While some speakers voiced fear over authorizing police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities could lead to police providing information that could lead to arrests of people with no criminal record or even detention of citizens without papers, others urged the Council to support the measure, voicing concern for public safety. Though opponents outnumber supporters, both sides drew large turnouts.  The hearing was boisterous, with the audience frequently interjecting applause or jeers and the mayor threatening several times to clear the room if the audience wouldn'td quiet down.

Glenn Bagge, an El Cajon business owner, stated that ICE claims that are “650,000 criminals running loose in the U.S.” who are undocumented.  “To not allow our police officers to deal with these criminals in the proper fashion, to deal with federal agents, would be criminal,” he said.

Cory Gautereaux, a veteran, said that an immigrant who assaulted the young daughter of a Navy Seal was initially shielded from ICE due to state laws, which prohibit law enforcement from handing over undocumented immigrants unless they have been convicted of a violent crime. ICE did eventually gain access and found child pornography on the suspect’s phone, Gautereaux said. 

Of note, immigrants commit crimes at far lower rates than citizens; if an undocumented immigrant is charged with a serious felony, under California’s SB 54 law, they would still be held accountable through the criminal justice system and if found guilty, could then be eligible for deportation.

Speakers against the resolution included representatives of immigrants’ rights and nonprofit groups. 

Mejgan Afshan, executive director of Borderlands for Equity, serves many immigrants and refugees in East County including Mexicans, Afghans, Somalis, Chaldeans and more.  “There are children scared of going to school for fear of losing their parents,” she said, referencing the Trump administration’s policy change this week allowing ICE to enter schools, churches and hospitals. “Councilmembers must avoid fearmongering and uplift the dignity of all residents,” she urged.

Yusef Miller, a cofounder of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition and Activist San Diego board member, stated, ”This is not about law and order. If it was, we would not be releasing all those people who stormed our capitol,” referencing Trump’s sweeping pardons and sentence commutations for all 1,500+ insurrectionists including those convicted of assaulting police officers. “What we see here is an attack on our brown community.” He likened the situation to the Fugitive Slave Act, which resulted in many blacks in free states being sent back to slavery.  “Do you support families, or do you support those who will bring fear...into our communities?” he asked the Council.

Brian Kougl (photo, left) with the San Diego organizing project, wearing a T-shirt with the statue of liberty proclaiming ‘I’m with her,’ said mass deportations are unpatriotic, immoral and wrong. “You should not support the hate-filled agenda of a delusional convicted felon,” he said of President Donald Trump, who has 36 felony convictions.

Immigration lawyer Maria Chavez with Partner for Advancement of New Americans said she represents immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in El Cajon.  “I fight for them every single day, and you need to, too,” she stated.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed with License to Freedom, an El Cajon nonprofit helping immigrants and refugees who are victims of violence, implored the Council to vote down the resolution. She noted that many immigrants have endured horrible conditions, such as an Afghan woman who was “raped over and over again” on her journey here; such individuals could face physical harm or death if deported. Though refugees are here legally, Trump has blocked new refugees from entering and has threatened to remove protected status from some refugees in the U.S., which could include Afghans.  

Some likened the national immigration crackdown to fascism and Nazism.  Nicole Bacca, a nurse, observed, ”Two weeks ago we saw Elon Musk onstage give Nazi salutes.”  Trump has named Musk to head up a committee charged with improving government efficiency. She noted that earlier campaign promises to deport only violent criminals have proven false, with long-term residents with no criminal records now being taken into detention camps or deported and even churches and schools subject to seizure of immigrant children and parents.  “Call it what it is—fascism, while people like Bill Wells seek power,” she said. “No surrounding cities are doing this...Choose compassion over fear and division,” she concluded.

An immigrant woman said she feared being stopped for papers, likening the situation to Jews forced to wear yellow stars before they were mass deported and millions killed in Hitler’s concentration camps during World War II. A Native American woman voiced concerns over Native Americans being stopped and said her grandmother, a Native-born American, was once deported because she couldn't speak English.

Sam Halpern said his family arrived in the 1800s to escape persecution.  “Our nation was built by immigrants,” he said, noting that our nation has historically welcomed immigrants seeking freedom.  He said this should include “freedom from jackboots at the door. Why do we rush to intimidate people seeking the American dream?”

But Republican Amy Reichert (photo, right) with Reform San Diego denounced as “offensive” speakers who invoked Nazism and the Holocaust.  She said she was raised Jewish, then added, “I gave my heart to Jesus in my 30s. Jesus did seek asylum—legal asylum,” she added, drawing laughter from the crowd. She voiced anger at nonprofit leaders who help migrants as “profiting off illegal immigration” and dismissed fears voiced by many speakers, then threatened, “The only people who should be afraid are the people who vote against this. There will be ramifications.”

After the hearing, Reichert sent out an e-mail blast to conservative followers, with a headline claiming that the Council majority had voted to “keep sanctuary city status.” That is false, since El Cajon has never been a sanctuary city and every council member has voiced opposition to sanctuary city policies. No new protections for immigrants were adopted, nor were any existing ones removed by Councilmembers.

Update: After this article ran, Reichert emailed ECM stating, "I never called El Cajon a Sanctuary city in my email."

This is also untrue.  See screenshot, left, with headline in her original email.

One of the final speakers was Bud Collins, who has worked with councilmembers on homeless outreach and said he believes that all love El Cajon.  He urged Council to pray and ask, “What would the Lord have you do?”  He then cited a Bible verse: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

A vigorous council debate followed public testimony in what the Mayor acknowledged was “the most contentious Council meeting ever.”

Councilmember Metschel led off by denouncing hate and making clear that she supported a middle ground—not becoming a sanctuary city, but neither committing to a path to support federal actions that instill fear across many community members and could result in deportations of people with no criminal record, like her neighbor, ripped apart from his 5-year-old daughter.

Later she revealed, “Nobody knows where the little girl is.  It’s crucial that our police officers have trust in the entire community, no matter what color, what religion they are.” If we lose that, we are less safe as a community,” she said, noting that some would be afraid to report crimes as witnesses or victims. 

She acknowledged, “This could be the end of my political career. I don’t care, because I stand up for the people here.”

Councilman Gary Kendrick talked about his mother, who was born in Czechoslovakia. In 1939, with Hitler in power, her best friend and her friend’s family disappeared, as well as her boss, who was Jewish and never heard from again. Kendrick’s mother married a U.S. soldier and the family often vacationed in Mexico. But when Kendrick was 12, he recalled a checkpoint officer saw her European-style smallpox vaccination on her arm and asked for her passport, which she didn’t have with her.  “I was scared out of my mind...That was 50 years ago and I’m still traumatized,” Kendrick said, adding that the experience resonates today with what many immigrants now fear could happen here. 

“If we comply with the feds, it’s like a blank check,” he pointed out, adding that the city doesn’t know all that the feds may ask of local authorities.  “It keeps changing,” he said.  “We have 70 ethnic groups in El Cajon and we get along remarkable well.  We don’t have gang wars. I did my research and found out that immigrants commit half (the rate) of crimes that citizens do...They pay landlords and do jobs others won’t,” noting that most agricultural workers are immigrants, including many who are not documented.  “I’ve listened to both sides....I am concerned about the criminal element,” he acknowledged.

Kendrick and Metschel then introduced an alternative resolution that they drafted before the meeting. It praised the contributions of immigrants and declared intent for the city to follow state law, which already allows police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities for violent criminal undocumented immigrants.

But Councilman Phil Ortiz, whose district is predominantly Latino and Middle Eastern immigrants and whose grandmother came here as a pregnant immigrant, objected. Ortiz stated that “our rules and laws” are what makes America different from other nations. He cited a World Health Organization estimate that there are 2.5 million people worldwide living in poverty, and that we can’t let everyone into the U.S. He praised the presidents of El Salvador and Argentina for reforms that he said reduced crime and poverty.

“I don’t see any issue with our police, if the come across these people, to call ICE,” he said.  While acknowledging immigrants’ contributions to our economy, insisted Ortiz, who coauthored the Mayor’s resolution. “The rule of law has to apply.”

Councilman Steve Goble sought to find a middle ground, asking numerous questions and introducing several alternative proposals that failed to win adequate support for adoption. While he made clear that he wants violent criminals removed, he observed, “The question is how to get them out of our city...who’s going to do it?” He later noted, “We have so much to do with homelessness, we can’t take on immigration...I don’t think we can assist with federal enforcement action,” he added, noting state laws prohibiting most cooperation.  “Let the state and the feds fight it out,” he said of conflicting laws, “and let me concentrate on serve and protect.”

Mayor Bill Wells (photo, right) spoke last, insisting that the resolution isn’t about racism or Nazism. “I think this is about a war that ended on November 5^th.  It’s about Trump and non-Trump, progressivism versus conservatism.” He added that 57% of the people in El Cajon voted for Trump “and knew where he stood on immigration.” He reiterated his view that if local police come into contact with an immigrant who is a gang member, for example, if police could cooperate with immigration officers, “We should.”

In the end, the Mayor’s resolution failed on a 3-2 vote with Councilmembers Kendrick, Metschel and Goble opposed, while Mayor Wells and Councilmember Ortiz voted in support.

Read the Mayor’s revised resolution that failed passage on pages 57-59 from City Council agenda attachments.

View ECM’s prior coverage on this resolution:

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/el-cajon-council-will-vote-today-controversial-immigration-resolution

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/latino-leaders-give-earful-el-cajon-city-council-over-proposed-immigration-resolution

Update Feb. 5, 2025:  A man named Ulysses Gomez, the same name as the immigrant arrested by ICE whom Councilwoman Metschel said was separated from his daughter,, did have a prior arrest in 2017 for driving under the influence and was ordered deported during Trump’s first presidency, then was arrested again in 2020 on a domestic violence accusation, according to El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell.  Mitchell suggests that ICE may have been following up on the 2017 deportation warrant. 

However, A check of San Diego Superior Court records by ECM found no listing for Ulysses Gomez, indicating that no trial occurred. Mitchell told ECM that it appears " the DA decided not to pursue either of the cases, so he was arrested for, but not charged or convicted.”

The arrest by ICE last week suggests that the Trump administration may be including individuals who were accused but not convicted of crimes, raising the possibility that innocent individuals could wind up deported to their home countries or potentially locked up in Guantanamo, where the Trump administration says it wants to send 30,000 deportees. Metschel has advised ECM that since this article ran, Gomez's daughter has been sent to stay with family members. Gomez was sent to the Otay Mesa detention facility pending deportation.

Correction:  Councilmember Metschel voted no on both the Mayor's resolution and Coucilman Goble's compromise measure. Councilman Ortiz voted in favor.

By Miriam Raftery

View video of full Council hearing (Immigration agenda item begins at 37 minutes.)

January 29, 2025 – Emotions ran high during yesterday’s El Cajon City Council meeting, where a packed chamber heard testimony from 88 members of the public over a proposed over immigration enforcement resolution, followed by a heated Council debate that divided the all-Republican members during a hearing that ran over five hours.

The measure introduced by Mayor Wells, a revision from a version heard two weeks ago, aims to authorize El Cajon police to comply with federal immigration enforcement officials within the limits of state law and the Constitution for the purpose of removing violent criminals.

But the action comes on the same day that the White House Press Secretary indicated that the Trump administration views all undocumented immigrants as “criminals” even though crossing the border itself is a misdemeanor on the first offense, not a felony or violent crime.

Sweeps by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have begun nationwide, picking up many immigrants with no criminal record—including an El Cajon man with no criminal record who was awaiting his asylum hearing when arrested  this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at his home in front of his five-year-old daughter, Councilman Michelle Metschel revealed in an impassioned speech.

“If this was just about violent criminals, I would be all for it,” Metschel (photo, right) said. “But today is a pivotal moment,” she added, noting that the Council’s decision would “change the course of history” for the city and many of its residents. She said El Cajon’s biggest crime problem was drug criminals comprising a portion of the homeless population, “not a single father raising his young girl, who was arrested down the street from me...He worked a full-time job and had a court date to become legal...His only crime was to come across the border.”

(Editor's note: the name of the arrested immigrant is Ulysses Gomez, according to Councilmember Metschel. ECM has learned that a man by this name had two prior arrests locally, according to the city manager, but that individual was never charged with or convicted of any crime, according to Court records. See full details in an update at the bottom of this story.)

Metschel made clear that she does not support El Cajon become a sanctuary city and wants to see violent criminals removed, but could not support the resolution after several dozen speakers voiced fears of authorities targeting people with brown skin and having to carry citizenship papers to avoid being sent to detention, and that many parents are now afraid to send their children to school, or report crimes to police. “This makes us look like racists. I want no part of it,.” Metschel affirmed, voicing dismay at "hateful rhetoric" by some speakers.

While some speakers voiced fear over authorizing police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities could lead to police providing information that could lead to arrests of people with no criminal record or even detention of citizens without papers, others urged the Council to support the measure, voicing concern for public safety. Though opponents outnumber supporters, both sides drew large turnouts.  The hearing was boisterous, with the audience frequently interjecting applause or jeers and the mayor threatening several times to clear the room if the audience wouldn'td quiet down.

Glenn Bagge, an El Cajon business owner, stated that ICE claims that are “650,000 criminals running loose in the U.S.” who are undocumented.  “To not allow our police officers to deal with these criminals in the proper fashion, to deal with federal agents, would be criminal,” he said.

Cory Gautereaux, a veteran, said that an immigrant who assaulted the young daughter of a Navy Seal was initially shielded from ICE due to state laws, which prohibit law enforcement from handing over undocumented immigrants unless they have been convicted of a violent crime. ICE did eventually gain access and found child pornography on the suspect’s phone, Gautereaux said. 

Of note, immigrants commit crimes at far lower rates than citizens; if an undocumented immigrant is charged with a serious felony, under California’s SB 54 law, they would still be held accountable through the criminal justice system and if found guilty, could then be eligible for deportation.

Speakers against the resolution included representatives of immigrants’ rights and nonprofit groups. 

Mejgan Afshan, executive director of Borderlands for Equity, serves many immigrants and refugees in East County including Mexicans, Afghans, Somalis, Chaldeans and more.  “There are children scared of going to school for fear of losing their parents,” she said, referencing the Trump administration’s policy change this week allowing ICE to enter schools, churches and hospitals. “Councilmembers must avoid fearmongering and uplift the dignity of all residents,” she urged.

Yusef Miller, a cofounder of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition and Activist San Diego board member, stated, ”This is not about law and order. If it was, we would not be releasing all those people who stormed our capitol,” referencing Trump’s sweeping pardons and sentence commutations for all 1,500+ insurrectionists including those convicted of assaulting police officers. “What we see here is an attack on our brown community.” He likened the situation to the Fugitive Slave Act, which resulted in many blacks in free states being sent back to slavery.  “Do you support families, or do you support those who will bring fear...into our communities?” he asked the Council.

Brian Kougl (photo, left) with the San Diego organizing project, wearing a T-shirt with the statue of liberty proclaiming ‘I’m with her,’ said mass deportations are unpatriotic, immoral and wrong. “You should not support the hate-filled agenda of a delusional convicted felon,” he said of President Donald Trump, who has 36 felony convictions.

Immigration lawyer Maria Chavez with Partner for Advancement of New Americans said she represents immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in El Cajon.  “I fight for them every single day, and you need to, too,” she stated.

Dilkhwaz Ahmed with License to Freedom, an El Cajon nonprofit helping immigrants and refugees who are victims of violence, implored the Council to vote down the resolution. She noted that many immigrants have endured horrible conditions, such as an Afghan woman who was “raped over and over again” on her journey here; such individuals could face physical harm or death if deported. Though refugees are here legally, Trump has blocked new refugees from entering and has threatened to remove protected status from some refugees in the U.S., which could include Afghans.  

Some likened the national immigration crackdown to fascism and Nazism.  Nicole Bacca, a nurse, observed, ”Two weeks ago we saw Elon Musk onstage give Nazi salutes.”  Trump has named Musk to head up a committee charged with improving government efficiency. She noted that earlier campaign promises to deport only violent criminals have proven false, with long-term residents with no criminal records now being taken into detention camps or deported and even churches and schools subject to seizure of immigrant children and parents.  “Call it what it is—fascism, while people like Bill Wells seek power,” she said. “No surrounding cities are doing this...Choose compassion over fear and division,” she concluded.

An immigrant woman said she feared being stopped for papers, likening the situation to Jews forced to wear yellow stars before they were mass deported and millions killed in Hitler’s concentration camps during World War II. A Native American woman voiced concerns over Native Americans being stopped and said her grandmother, a Native-born American, was once deported because she couldn't speak English.

Sam Halpern said his family arrived in the 1800s to escape persecution.  “Our nation was built by immigrants,” he said, noting that our nation has historically welcomed immigrants seeking freedom.  He said this should include “freedom from jackboots at the door. Why do we rush to intimidate people seeking the American dream?”

But Republican Amy Reichert (photo, right) with Reform San Diego denounced as “offensive” speakers who invoked Nazism and the Holocaust.  She said she was raised Jewish, then added, “I gave my heart to Jesus in my 30s. Jesus did seek asylum—legal asylum,” she added, drawing laughter from the crowd. She voiced anger at nonprofit leaders who help migrants as “profiting off illegal immigration” and dismissed fears voiced by many speakers, then threatened, “The only people who should be afraid are the people who vote against this. There will be ramifications.”

After the hearing, Reichert sent out an e-mail blast to conservative followers, with a headline claiming that the Council majority had voted to “keep sanctuary city status.” That is false, since El Cajon has never been a sanctuary city and every council member has voiced opposition to sanctuary city policies. No new protections for immigrants were adopted, nor were any existing ones removed by Councilmembers.

Update: After this article ran, Reichert emailed ECM stating, "I never called El Cajon a Sanctuary city in my email."

This is also untrue.  See screenshot, left, with headline in her original email.

One of the final speakers was Bud Collins, who has worked with councilmembers on homeless outreach and said he believes that all love El Cajon.  He urged Council to pray and ask, “What would the Lord have you do?”  He then cited a Bible verse: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

A vigorous council debate followed public testimony in what the Mayor acknowledged was “the most contentious Council meeting ever.”

Councilmember Metschel led off by denouncing hate and making clear that she supported a middle ground—not becoming a sanctuary city, but neither committing to a path to support federal actions that instill fear across many community members and could result in deportations of people with no criminal record, like her neighbor, ripped apart from his 5-year-old daughter.

Later she revealed, “Nobody knows where the little girl is.  It’s crucial that our police officers have trust in the entire community, no matter what color, what religion they are.” If we lose that, we are less safe as a community,” she said, noting that some would be afraid to report crimes as witnesses or victims. 

She acknowledged, “This could be the end of my political career. I don’t care, because I stand up for the people here.”

Councilman Gary Kendrick talked about his mother, who was born in Czechoslovakia. In 1939, with Hitler in power, her best friend and her friend’s family disappeared, as well as her boss, who was Jewish and never heard from again. Kendrick’s mother married a U.S. soldier and the family often vacationed in Mexico. But when Kendrick was 12, he recalled a checkpoint officer saw her European-style smallpox vaccination on her arm and asked for her passport, which she didn’t have with her.  “I was scared out of my mind...That was 50 years ago and I’m still traumatized,” Kendrick said, adding that the experience resonates today with what many immigrants now fear could happen here. 

“If we comply with the feds, it’s like a blank check,” he pointed out, adding that the city doesn’t know all that the feds may ask of local authorities.  “It keeps changing,” he said.  “We have 70 ethnic groups in El Cajon and we get along remarkable well.  We don’t have gang wars. I did my research and found out that immigrants commit half (the rate) of crimes that citizens do...They pay landlords and do jobs others won’t,” noting that most agricultural workers are immigrants, including many who are not documented.  “I’ve listened to both sides....I am concerned about the criminal element,” he acknowledged.

Kendrick and Metschel then introduced an alternative resolution that they drafted before the meeting. It praised the contributions of immigrants and declared intent for the city to follow state law, which already allows police to cooperate with federal immigration authorities for violent criminal undocumented immigrants.

But Councilman Phil Ortiz, whose district is predominantly Latino and Middle Eastern immigrants and whose grandmother came here as a pregnant immigrant, objected. Ortiz stated that “our rules and laws” are what makes America different from other nations. He cited a World Health Organization estimate that there are 2.5 million people worldwide living in poverty, and that we can’t let everyone into the U.S. He praised the presidents of El Salvador and Argentina for reforms that he said reduced crime and poverty.

“I don’t see any issue with our police, if the come across these people, to call ICE,” he said.  While acknowledging immigrants’ contributions to our economy, insisted Ortiz, who coauthored the Mayor’s resolution. “The rule of law has to apply.”

Councilman Steve Goble sought to find a middle ground, asking numerous questions and introducing several alternative proposals that failed to win adequate support for adoption. While he made clear that he wants violent criminals removed, he observed, “The question is how to get them out of our city...who’s going to do it?” He later noted, “We have so much to do with homelessness, we can’t take on immigration...I don’t think we can assist with federal enforcement action,” he added, noting state laws prohibiting most cooperation.  “Let the state and the feds fight it out,” he said of conflicting laws, “and let me concentrate on serve and protect.”

Mayor Bill Wells (photo, right) spoke last, insisting that the resolution isn’t about racism or Nazism. “I think this is about a war that ended on November 5^th.  It’s about Trump and non-Trump, progressivism versus conservatism.” He added that 57% of the people in El Cajon voted for Trump “and knew where he stood on immigration.” He reiterated his view that if local police come into contact with an immigrant who is a gang member, for example, if police could cooperate with immigration officers, “We should.”

In the end, the Mayor’s resolution failed on a 3-2 vote with Councilmembers Kendrick, Metschel and Goble opposed, while Mayor Wells and Councilmember Ortiz voted in support.

Read the Mayor’s revised resolution that failed passage on pages 57-59 from City Council agenda attachments.

View ECM’s prior coverage on this resolution:

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/el-cajon-council-will-vote-today-controversial-immigration-resolution

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/latino-leaders-give-earful-el-cajon-city-council-over-proposed-immigration-resolution

Update Feb. 5, 2025:  A man named Ulysses Gomez, the same name as the immigrant arrested by ICE whom Councilwoman Metschel said was separated from his daughter,, did have a prior arrest in 2017 for driving under the influence and was ordered deported during Trump’s first presidency, then was arrested again in 2020 on a domestic violence accusation, according to El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell.  Mitchell suggests that ICE may have been following up on the 2017 deportation warrant. 

However, A check of San Diego Superior Court records by ECM found no listing for Ulysses Gomez, indicating that no trial occurred. Mitchell told ECM that it appears " the DA decided not to pursue either of the cases, so he was arrested for, but not charged or convicted.”

The arrest by ICE last week suggests that the Trump administration may be including individuals who were accused but not convicted of crimes, raising the possibility that innocent individuals could wind up deported to their home countries or potentially locked up in Guantanamo, where the Trump administration says it wants to send 30,000 deportees. Metschel has advised ECM that since this article ran, Gomez's daughter has been sent to stay with family members. Gomez was sent to the Otay Mesa detention facility pending deportation.

Correction:  Councilmember Metschel voted no on both the Mayor's resolution and Coucilman Goble's compromise measure. Councilman Ortiz voted in favor.

East County News Service

January 29, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – The City of Lemon Grove is now accepting applications for residents and business owners interested in serving on the Measure T Oversight Committee. Applications will be accepted beginning January 27, 2025, through February 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

The Measure T Oversight Committee is being established following the approval of Measure T – the Lemon Grove Sales Tax Measure – by voters in the November 5, 2024 State General Election. This measure, which is formally known as Ordinance No. 466, added Chapter 3.18 to the Lemon Grove Municipal Code, and mandates the formation of an oversight committee to monitor the implementation of Measure T funds.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• 18 years or older by the time of appointment
• Applicants may be residents or business owners within the City of Lemon Grove

The Measure T Oversight Committee will consist of five members. Interested candidates must submit their application by February 20, 2025. On February 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m., applicants will have the opportunity to present their qualifications to the City Council during a Special City Council Meeting. A random drawing will determine the order of presentations, followed by potential questions from the Council. The final selection of the five committee members will take place during the Regular City Council Meeting on March 4, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

Key Dates:

• Application Period: Monday, January 27 – Thursday, February 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
• Special City Council Meeting (Applicant Presentations): Monday, February 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
• Regular City Council Meeting (Appointments): Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.

Applications are available at the City Clerk’s Office, located at 3232 Main Street, Lemon Grove, CA 91945, or on the City’s website at https://www.lemongrove.ca.gov/our-government/office-of-the-city-clerk/

For additional information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (619) 825-3841 or visit the City’s website.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Opponents of resolution rallied Monday in El Cajon; CBS 8 video screenshot

Read the revised resolution on pages 57-59 from City Council agenda attachments

January 28, 2025 (El Cajon) – A crowd of about 75people opposed to mass deportations held a rally outside El Cajon’s City Hall yesterday to speak out against Mayor Bill Wells’ proposed resolution for the city to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The City Council will hold a hearing today at 3 p.m. on the controversial measure.

Changes have been made since the last meeting, adding praise for the city’s “vibrant and diverse immigrant communities” but also declaring the city’s intent to “comply with federal immigration law to the legal extent permissible under SB 54 and other applicable laws to remove violent criminals from our community.” SB 54 is a state law which prohibits cities from turning anyone over to federal immigration authorities unless they have been convicted in court of committed certain serious felony crimes, such as murder or rape. 

But President Donald Trump has declared a border emergency and  ordered immigration officials to conduct broad sweeps in immigrant communities. In recent days, people including citizens have been stopped,  asked for documents to prove citizenship, and many have been detained. Trump has stated his goal is to deport all 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.—going far beyond the small percentage convicted of felonies.

His administration has set forth quotas to arrest 1,000 to 15,000 immigrants daily, 75 for each Border Patrol district every day. Agents have been going into shopping areas, fields, and are now authorized to enter schools, churches, and hospitals to arrest immigrants.  Trump has also voiced his intent to denaturalize some citizens and to revoke legal status for some immigrants with special protected status, such as Haitians.

Might the Trump administration in the future ask local cities and police to assist in handing over citizens whose legal status has been arbitrarily revoked? What if Trump revokes legal status for Iraqi and Afghan immigrants granted special protected status for helping our military? Already, Trump has blocked flights for Afghans and others granted refugee status, including some who helped our military and could face death if returned to their homeland, as well as family members of active duty U.S. military.

Mayor Bill Wells notes that the Trump administration has threatened to arrest city officials who don’t cooperate on immigration arrests, while state law mostly prohibits this, putting cities “between a rock and a hard place.” The city sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta seeking clarification on the city’s legal obligations regarding immigration, and whether the state would indemnify the city if it did not comply with federal orders. Bonta has sent a reply, which included a long list of links and information, but did more to muddy the waters than clarify the points raised.

He added in a CBS interview,“If someone commits a crime, and we catch them...we should be able to tell ICE what is going on.”  That goes against the principle in the U.S. that a person is presumed innocent until a judge or jury finds them guilty of a crime.  Detention or deportation without a trial raises the specter of  what has happened under third-world dictatorships in some countries, where thousands of people have disappeared after being merely accused of crimes, including political dissidents.

“The people, divided, will never be united,” the crowd chanted at yesterday’s rally.

Some voiced fear or anger over the proposed resolution. A woman named Violet, whose last name was not provided, tearfully said a friend was just picked up by immigration authorities.  She shared a cell phone photo showing Border Patrol officers in El Cajon.

Others voiced fear of being stopped and asked for papers to prove citizenship, an action that arguably violates the 4^th Amendment ban on warrantless searches. One rally participant suggested that if this goes through, the Mayor and Councilmembers will lose in the next election.

Some Councilmembers have voiced concerns over the resolution.

Councilmember Michelle Metschel noted that a resolution is not needed to affirm public safety or seek clarification on the laws from state or federal authorities. She noted that many who spoke against the resolution had voiced legitimate fears, the said, ”I originally signed on to support this,” she said of the resolution, “but as an adult and a representative of my community, I’m entitled to chance my mind as I get more information and as people talk to me,” Metschel added, drawing applause. “These are the heart and soul of what we’re representing,” she said of the speakers present. “I am elected to support them.”

At the last Council meeting on January 14, as ECM reported,  Vice Mayor Gary Kendrick revealed, “My mother was living in Czechoslovakia in 1939 when Hitler came in. They said `Jews have to wear yellow stars, but that’s all that we’re doing.’ Then the Gestapo came for her boss, they dragged him out of the office to wash cars, then they dragged him out again and nobody ever saw him again...I’m very concerned about civil rights, because things tend to creep along and get worse..”

Kendrick also praised immigrants for their contributions to the community and agreed with earlier speakers who said if police are cooperating in turning undocumented immigrants over for deportation, many El Cajon residents would be afraid to come forward to report crimes if they are victims or witnesses. ““I don’t want people living here in fear,” he concluded.

Supporters and opponents of the resolution are expected to turn out in force at today's City Council meeting, which will be held at 3 p.m. at El Cajon City  County Chambers, 200 Civic Center Way in downtown El Cajon.

By Alastair Bland, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo via Calif. Dept. of Water Resources:  A drone provides a view of a section of the California Aqueduct within the California State Water Project, located near John R. Teerink Pumping Plant.

January 27, 2025 (Central Valley, Calif.) - President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Sunday that told federal agencies to “immediately take action” to deliver more Central Valley water and eliminate rules that stand in the way, including endangered species protections.

By Jessica Brodkin Webb

January 27, 2025 (Lemon Grove) -- Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow called the Jan. 21 City Council meeting “very light,” yet there was time enough for staunch resident pushback against a historically controversial tiny homes project which was not on the agenda. 

The project, funded and in development by the County of San Diego, is intended to house homeless residents in 70 tiny homes on Troy Street.

A previous iteration of the project, planned around State of California funding, was slated for over twice as many structures and originally destined for Spring Valley. However, state funding was rescinded following missed deadlines, and the project was downsized and relocated to Lemon Grove amidst Spring Valley resident pushback. 

Tuesday, Lemon Grove residents once again questioned why an open community discussion about the project has yet to appear on an agenda.

“I’ve been here over six months asking for this item to be put on the agenda,” resident Ken King said.

King is one of several residents who have consistently voiced concerns about the project during time for public comments at city council meetings.

“Jennifer said the tiny home project would be on the agenda this meeting or next meeting. Those are her words,” King said, referring to Councilmember Mendoza.

Lemon Grove City Manager Lydia Romero said she is working with the county to schedule a special study session which would be open to the public. 

“We are dependent on the County of San Diego because they’re the ones putting forth the project,” Romero said.

However, former Lemon Grove Chamber of Commerce president and resident Teresa Rosiak-Proffit addressed city council members with an emphatic comment, stating that residents “want each one of you to hear their concerns” at a regular city council meeting rather than a county presentation or other special meeting.

“We need a city council tiny homes presentation where the residents can speak with you directly. It is their right for you to hear them. You may not want to hear them, but you have to give them a chance to be heard. Normally, I don’t demand but I am demanding that this be put on the agenda as quickly as possible so you hear what residents have to say,” said Rosiak-Proffit.

Snow said she would look into adding a special city council meeting about the tiny homes project, to which Romero said that essentially constitutes a special study session.

As of publication, no special study session or additional meeting information had been announced. The next regular Lemon Grove city council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Lemon Grove Community Center, located at 3146 School Lane.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: screenshot of aerial video by ECM news partner 10 News shows military troops with razor wire at a staging site in the South Bay, as troops prepare to deploy to fortify U.S. - Mexico Border and aid in Trump crackdown on border crossings.

January 26, 2025 (San Diego) – A tough crackdown on immigrants has begun, after President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the Southern Border. On Thursday, 1,500 active-duty military troops have been deployed to patrol the borders in San Diego and San Antonio, Texas, with the first soldiers arriving Thursday. 10 News shot footage showing troops, including hundreds from Camp Pendleton, arriving at staging area in Imperial Beach along with concertina razor wire, tents, and military trucks.

Yet according to Associated Press, data doesn’t back up Trump’s contention of an “invasion” of immigrants.  In fact,  AP reports, “arrests for illegal border crossings plummeted more than 80% to about 47,000 in December from an all-time high of 250,000 the same period a year earlier. Arrests fell by about half when Mexican authorities increased enforcement within their own borders a year ago and by about half again when former President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June.”

Immigration sweeps have also begun across the nation, striking fear into immigrant communities as Border Patrol agents in some areas reportedly demanded documentation of everyone stopped, including citizens. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, told Fox News that ICE arrested over 308 “serious criminals” in the first 24 hours after Trump took office.

One day later, Newsweek reports, Trump’s Acting Secretary of Homeland Security  Benjamine Huffman lifted a long-standing ban, now allowing ICE to target immigrants in sensitive locations including schools, churches and hospitals.

In addition to fortifying the border to block crossings by migrants, including many seeking asylum and fleeing violence or persecution, Trump's administration has disabled the app which formerly allowed asylum-seekers to apply online without crossing the border, effectively blocking all asylum efforts, NPR reports. 

That violates international law. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, "Seeking asylum is a human right and every person in the world has the right to apply for asylum if they are fleeing conflict or persecution. They must not be expelled or returned to situations where their lives or freedoms would be in danger. This is the principle of non-refoulement which is enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention."

The Justice Dept. under Trump has also ordered prosecutors to “investigate any government officials at the state of local effort who refuse to enforce Trump’s immigration policies,” according to Newsweek, putting local officials in the hot seat, since state law prohibits cooperating with federal immigration officials except for turning over criminals convicted of a specified list of serious crimes. 

In recent days, immigration sweeps have been occurring across the nation, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and other major cities.  Details from Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been sketchy, with names released only for a few serious criminals.

But reports across the country suggest innocent people including citizens and even Native Americans are being stopped and harassed by ICE.  Newark, New Jersey’s Mayor Ras Baraka issued this statement on Jan. 23: “Today, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a local establishment in the City of Newark, detaining undocumented residents as well as citizens, without producing a warrant. One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned. This egregious act is in plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees ‘the right of the people be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures. Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized. I will be holding a press conference in alliance with partners ready and willing to defend and protect civil and human rights.”

The Arizona Mirror reports that Native Americans have been unlawfully stopped and detained by ICE. 

““We now know that Navajo people and enrolled members of other tribes are being detained in Phoenix and other cities by ICE,” Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said during a committee meeting on Thursday. “The reports that we have received indicate that we need to coordinate an operation or some type of response to help our enrolled tribal members here on the Navajo Nation.”

Navajo tribal leaders reported that they received calls and text messages from Navajo people living in urban areas who have been stopped, questioned or detained by ICE. Those reports sparked outrage among Navajo Nation Council members and prompted a detailed discussion of the topic during a Naabik’íyáti’ Committee meeting.

“These raids have sparked significant fear, especially among tribal members in urban areas who face challenges with documentation,” the Navajo Nation Council said in a press release.

California has 2.4 million undocumented immigrants, the most of any state, the Los Angeles Times reports. Many farmworkers are staying home, terrified of being detained or deported after recent raids, New Republic reports. ““We’re in the middle of our citrus harvesting,” Casey Creamer, president of the industry group California Citrus Mutual, told CalMatters. “This sent shockwaves through the entire community. People aren’t going to work and kids aren’t going to school. Yesterday about 25 percent of the workforce, today 75 percent didn’t show up.”

San Diego County has an estimated 170,000 undocumented immigrants. In an interview with CBS 8, Pedro Rios with the American Friends Service Committee warned of potential economic impacts if large-scale removals were to occur. "It would mean that suddenly we wouldn't have people in the service industry” he said, also voicing concerns over separation of children from parents. “We wouldn't have people in the agricultural industry. We wouldn't have people that are professionals that touch every aspect of our life,” Rios said.

By Miriam Raftery

Times of San Diego and Voice of San Diego contributed to this report

Photo by Chris Stone, Times of San Diego: Nora Vargas at a 2022 rally

December 20, 2024 (San Diego)—In an announcement that surprised even her staff, San Diego County Supervisors’ Chair Nora Vargas today announced she will step down January 6 at the end of her term, despite winning reelection in November with 62.5% of the votes.

“Due to personal and security reasons, I will not take the oath of office for a second term,” Vargas said, Times of San Diego reports.

Vargas has drawn vitriolic and criticism from conservatives and racist remarks over her advocacy for equity and support for immigrants, including her recent measure urging the Sheriff not to cooperative with federal authorities on mass deportation efforts under the incoming Trump administration. (The Sheriff has said she is required to follow state law, not county policy on the latter.) But she has also drawn opposition from allies after recent disputes with labor groups and concerns from residents who feel she hasn’t done enough to address the sewage crisis in the Tijuana River and from Spring Valley residents opposed to sleeping cabins for homeless people in their community, a project which Vargas later withdrew. 

She is also the target of legal claims alleging that she and her staff discriminated against prospective employees,including blocking Michael Vu, county administrator and former registrar of voters, from being named the county’s chief executive officer. Vue claims Vargas sought to appoint a Hispanic or black candidate instead. Vargas denies these claims.

The County’s first Latina Supervisor has faced a flurry of hateful comments online as well as abusive remarks at public meetings. She called a recess at the most recent Dec. 10 meeting due to screaming audience member. Voice of San Diego reports that Vargas has said she has had death threats and other extreme harassment.  “I have stalkers. I have people who harass me on phones,” she said during a recent board discussion on changing meeting rules to prevent disruptions.

In a statement, Vargas said, “It has been my honor to serve in public office during unprecedented times,” adding that her priority has been to ensure that “everyone can be seen, heard and have a chance to thrive.” She considers her proudest accomplishments to include leading disaster response and recovery efforts such as after last January’s floods, working to keep communities healthy during the pandemic, and working to assure that government serves all members of the public.

Vice Chair Terra Lawson Remer voiced appreciation for Vargas’ service and assures that “the work and new direction of the county will continue moving forward...advancing our agenda to uplift all communities.”

That may prove challenging, however, since Vargas’ unexpected departure will leave the board split with 2 Republicans and 2 Democrats for the second time in two years.  In 2023, then Chairman Nathan Fletcher resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment of a Metropolitan Transit System staffer.  He denied those claims, but admitted to an alcohol problem and entered a treatment program.

The remaining four supervisors are expected to discuss at the January 7 meeting whether to appoint a replacement, which may prove difficult given the partisan split, or to call for a special election to let voters choose the next supervisor.

Chula Vista Mayor John McCann has already announced he will seek the seat. Other potential candidates include Assemblyman David Alvarez, Chula Vista Councilmember Carolina Chavez, Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, and San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno.

As for her future, Vargas says in her statement that she will remain “committed to continuing the fight for equity, justice, and human rights—just in a different capacity.”

Her decision not to serve her next term is deeply troubling if due to death threats and harassment as she has indicated, something no public official should have to endure.  Whether or not other factors influenced her decision, announcing a resignation due to severe harassment  also has the disturbing potential to embolden disturbed individuals to launch racist personal attacks or threaten harm to other elected officials--actions that have no place in a free society.

Photo, left to right:  Councilmembers Lauren Cazares and Patricia Dillard, Mayor Mark Arapostathis, Councilmembers Laura Lothian and Genevieve Suzuki

Source:  City of La Mesa

January 10, 2025 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa welcomed two new councilmembers during its City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The occasion marked a historic milestone in La Mesa as the council now consists of a majority of women, including women of color, with four women and one man who serves as mayor.

“This is a proud and historic moment for La Mesa,” said Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “Our City Council reflects the strength and diversity of our community. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to continue making La Mesa a place where everyone feels represented and empowered.”

Joining the council are the newly elected members, Lauren Cazares and Genevieve Suzuki. Both Cazares and Suzuki have deep roots in the La Mesa community. Cazares, lifelong La Mesan, currently serves as Policy Advisor at the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and has been actively involved in various boards and committees, including the City of La Mesa Community Police Oversight Board.

“I‘m deeply honored to serve as a member of the La Mesa City Council and continue the work of building a safer, stronger, more affordable community for all,” said Councilmember Cazares. “As a proud Latina, the youngest Councilwoman in La Mesa history and first openly LGBTQ+ Councilmember, I’m committed to ensuring that our City remains a place where everyone feels heard, valued, and empowered to thrive.”

Suzuki, a family law attorney with more than a decade of legal experience, is a dedicated advocate committed to community service in La Mesa. She has served on the Community Services Commission and the La Mesa Park and Recreation Foundation Board.

“I'm honored to have been elected to represent our vibrant community and work with Mayor Arapostathis, Vice Mayor Patricia Dillard, and fellow Councilmembers Laura Lothian and Lauren Cazares,” said Councilmember Suzuki. “I look forward to making sure everyone feels heard and using my time on the City Council to continue the progress made by outgoing councilmembers Colin Parent and Jack Shu.”

The election of these new councilmembers by the people of La Mesa reflects the city’s diverse makeup, with women representing approximately 52% of the population. This milestone builds on the foundation set in 1980 when Jerri Lopez was elected La Mesa’s first female City Councilmember.

“History, history, and more history! I’m thrilled to have made history at Tuesday’s final City Council meeting of the year,” said Vice Mayor Patricia Dillard. “I’m especially excited to welcome our two new Councilmembers, Lauren Cazares and Genevieve Suzuki, as they were sworn in helping form a supermajority female council. Together, we will continue to represent our community with dedication and excellence. Four highly qualified women, each with diverse multicultural backgrounds, are poised to lead. Congratulations to us all!"

“I first attended La Mesa City Council meetings when the council comprised of Mayor Art Madrid and Councilmembers Dr. A, Ernie Ewin, Ruth Sterling and Dave Allen,” said Councilmember Laura Lothian. “Since then, our City Council has always been majority male. This new council, with four women and one man, will be very different and interesting. We are a diverse council, with a Greek mayor and the four councilmembers who are female, Black, Hispanic, and Asian.  My ethnic background is half Guatemalan and half English. We are also diverse in age, with Vice Mayor Dillard and I being grandmothers, Genevieve Suzuki as a young mom, and Lauren Cazares, the youngest councilmember elected since the 1970s!”

Cazares and Suzuki are replacing Colin Parent and Jack Shu on the City Council. Parent served on the City Council for eight years, where he focused on housing policies and championed labor initiatives. Shu served on the City Council for four years, earning recognition for his commitment to environmental advocacy.

The swearing-in ceremony took place during the City Council’s regular meeting.

The City encourages residents to engage with the new councilmembers and participate in upcoming City Council meetings. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located at 8130 Allison Ave., La Mesa.