The city of Pasadena cancelled swimming lessons and other recreation programs at three parks on Saturday, citing concerns about possible immigration enforcement by federal agents.
City spokesperson Lisa Deldarian said the agency had made the decision after seeing a post on social media showing what “seems to be federal enforcement” at Villa Park, a city park north of 210 Freeway.
The city has cancelled its program “from abundant attention” at Villa Park, Robinson Park and Victory Park in a social media post to avoid “a potential escalation of conflicts that federal enforcement activities don’t announce.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs Border Protection Agency officials did not respond immediately to inquiries from the Times.
The city’s announcement is several blocks from Villa Park just days after the federal government detained people at bus stops on Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue. The operation elicited an angry response from US lawmaker Judy Chu, including Pasadena and other politicians in the Congressional district.
Chu said one unidentified agent pointed a gun at a man trying to video the agent’s license plate in the incident in which he was caught up in the video.
“The ice agent jumped out of the car and pointed the gun pointed it as if he was going to shoot a young man just to film a video of that license plate,” she said. “That’s outrageous.”
Times staff writer Longgonlin II contributed to this report.
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