Alhambra’s mayor says the city is formally reviewing a viral video and claims by a resident alleging cooperation between local police and federal immigration agents.
Angie Vargas claims she was filming a group of federal agents when an Alhambra police vehicle cut her off. In the video, Vargas can be heard questioning police about whether they were working with the immigration officers.
The video soon went viral, sparking fury in Alhambra, where roughly 35% of population is Hispanic.
The issue was addressed at a packed city council meeting Monday. Vargas told the dais that the police officer who cut her off had “effectively handed me off to federal agents.”
The Alhambra Police Department has denied this claim, noting SB 54 prohibits local law enforcement from using resources to assist with immigration enforcement. It released the following explanation for the incident:
“Our officers responded to a call for service regarding a vehicle being followed by another vehicle that was running red lights and making illegal u-turns. Officers parked their vehicle in between both parties to help with deescalating the situation."
Read more at ABC News.