Pasadena cancels Saturday swim lessons, other park programs after reports of immigration enforcement

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The city of Pasadena canceled several activities on Saturday after video surfaced showing federal agent activity at a local park.

City leaders say it's a safety concern. Meanwhile, the community is coming together, calling for unity. People gathered on Saturday night for an emergency vigil in response to the immigration raids.

Witnesses were desperately trying to get personal information from the handful of people taken by federal agents in and around a public park in Pasadena so their family and friends would know they had been detained.

"I mean, they're kidnappings. It's appalling. It's awful. It's shameful, really," said Amy Stein from Eagle Rock.

Two men were snatched off the street early Saturday morning at Villa Park while buying tamales from a street cart.

The owner of the cart -- who has been at the park for years-- said she was terrified.

She said she has her documents but was still threatened with arrest by the agents, so she immediately called her daughter.

"This is my neighborhood. This is my home. So once they told me what happened with my mom, I left whatever I was doing," her daughter, Sandra Garcia said.

Around the corner from the park, federal agents were also spotted entering an apartment building on North Marengo Street, apparently grabbing a few more people.

Because of the early morning operation at a city park, Pasadena quickly canceled swim lessons and other programs at Villa Park, Robinson Park, and Victory Park on Saturday.

"We don't want to risk an innocent child, or a parent, or a coach, or a referee being injured, so we feel compelled to cancel activities," said Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo.

The agents appeared to have the word "police" written across their vests, but like in many of the other raids we've seen across Southern California in recent weeks, it's not clear which federal agency they're from, or if they're just casting a wide net or going to specific spots for specific people.

"The city is not being informed. They just showed up and took people right off the street. They did not identify themselves, showed up in unmarked vehicles, wielding serious weaponry," Gordo said.

State Senator Sasha Renee Perez, who represents the district where the park is, says on Monday, she's introducing legislation to make the agents identify themselves -- including some sort of name or ID plate being worn to show which agency they're with.

"People are scared to go outside. They're scared to even enjoy themselves, and that includes U.S. citizens. I've started carrying my passport on me, and I'm a state senator," Perez said.