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After weekend protests, Paramount residents say they want Department of Homeland Security out of their community
Residents showed up to the Paramount City Council meeting Tuesday to express concern about how protests over the weekend were handled, and the presence of federal agents in their community.
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Libby Rainey
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LAist
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Paramount residents packed a City Council meeting Tuesday to vent their anger after days of chaotic protests against the presence of federal agents.
The city south of Los Angeles has a population of around 50,000, most of them Latino. It's a lesser-known neighbor of Compton. But it was at the center of a national storm after images of protests near a Home Depot there Saturday spread.
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Opposite the Home Depot is a Department of Homeland Security facility, which city officials said historically had been used as a security and customs enforcement location for the ports. It's now being used as a staging area for federal agents, and it was their presence that apparently sparked the protests.
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At the meeting, residents, visibly shaken from the weekend's events, expressed their frustration during the public comments section.
"This area has always felt safe and immune to the broader catastrophes at large," said Rosalba Rios, who's lived in Paramount since 1989. "Fast forward [to] June 7, you can imagine my shock and horror to see ICE agents in full military gear. [The DHS facility] was well-positioned and hidden from view, making it perfect as an immigration base for this area."
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In a statement Sunday, Mayor Peggy Lemons said that, to her knowledge, no immigration enforcement actions were taken against Paramount residents on Saturday.
Multiple speakers said protestors had been subjected to unnecessary force by law enforcement.
" We were met not with understanding, but with violence," said Alyson Barragan, who told the council she was shot with a projectile while protesting. "We were met with tear gas, with rubber bullets, with beanbags."
As she addressed the council, Barragan pulled up her shirt to show them a large bruise on her lower back.
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Why does DHS have a facility in Paramount?
City officials say DHS has been leasing office space in Paramount since 2007. The Paramount Business Center is a cluster of warehouse and office spaces behind a wrought iron gate. On Tuesday evening, National Guard troops could be seen stationed outside.
City officials say DHS has been leasing office space in Paramount since 2007.
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Libby Rainey
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LAist
)
Lemons said the city had no contract with DHS or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She also said that DHS is not required to hold a city business license or communicate its plans with the city because it's a federal agency.
" I want to take a moment to acknowledge the very real fear and frustration that many in our community are feeling," Lemons said. "Our immigrant community is a vital part of the fabric of Paramount, and we stand with you."
But many residents demanded that DHS be moved out of the city.
" I ask that you revoke their licenses and bar them from leasing again in the city and find them liable for damages," said Gurdeep Kaur. "People were harmed on the streets of Paramount."
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