Teacher Arrested During Protest Outside Long Beach Hotel Housing ICE Agents

What began as a peaceful protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in Long Beach took a troubling turn on June 25, when a Cerritos/Lakewood ABC Unified School District public school teacher and Long Beach resident was arrested during a small demonstration outside the Holiday Inn near Lakewood Boulevard and Willow Street.

Carmen Valdes, a 66-year-old educator and lifelong democracy advocate, joined approximately 20 to 25 protesters for the “No Sleep for ICE” demonstration – targeting hotels suspected of housing federal immigration agents. The event followed a much larger June 13–14 protest at the same location that drew an estimated 150 demonstrators. That earlier protest, though vocally intense with chants and noisemakers, ended without any arrests or reported incidents.

Valdes, whose family fled Fidel Castro’s Cuba when she was an infant, has a decades-long history of peaceful activism and said she has never before been arrested.

“I’ve marched and protested my entire life when I’ve seen democracy under threat,” Valdes told the Beachcomber. “But never – until now – have I been handcuffed for exercising my rights.”

That evening, Valdes arrived with a small cowbell and a plastic toy cone she used to amplify her voice as she chanted, “No ICE in Long Beach!” Shortly after 9:20 p.m., she said, a Long Beach Police Department officer instructed her to stop making noise due to a hotel guest’s complaint. Valdes complied immediately, placing her cone on the ground and engaging in quiet conversation with fellow demonstrators.

At around 10 p.m., Valdes was speaking with a hotel guest visiting from Iowa for a police dispatchers convention when two officers approached and arrested her without further warning.

The hotel guest, according to Valdes, expressed surprise to the officers, stating that she had not been disruptive and that they were simply talking.

Despite her cooperation and the lack of any dispersal order, Valdes was handcuffed, searched without permission and transported to Long Beach Police Headquarters, where she was cited for violating Penal Code Section 415 – disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor often reserved for loud disturbances or altercations. She was released shortly after midnight and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 13 at 8:30 a.m. at the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in downtown Long Beach.

Another protester, identified by Valdes only as “Maha,” was also arrested. No other demonstrators were taken into custody that evening, despite a heavy police presence that included multiple patrol units and utility vehicles.

LBPD Responds to Arrest of Peaceful Protesters, but Questions Remain Unanswered

In response to a nine question Beachcomber inquiry regarding the June 25 arrests, the Long Beach Police Department issued the following statement:

“On June 25, 2025, at approximately 9:16 p.m., officers responded to the area of Lakewood Boulevard and Willow Street regarding a group disturbance. Upon arrival, officers observed a group of approximately 15 to 20 individuals who were actively demonstrating. Officers contacted victims who identified and desired prosecution against two female adult subjects who they stated had been making excessive noise. Officers safely arrested both women and transported them to the Long Beach Jail, where they were cited for disturbing the peace by unreasonable and loud noise. The investigation is ongoing.”

PIO Officer Eric Stachura wrote, “this is the only statement we will be releasing regarding this incident at this time. “

While the LBPD statement confirms the arrests and the charge under Penal Code Section 415, it fails to address the nine specific questions submitted by the Beachcomber prior to publication. These unanswered questions go to the heart of whether the arrests were lawful, proportionate, and free from political influence.

Evaluation and Key Critiques of the LBPD Response

1. Timing Discrepancy – LBPD states officers responded at 9:16 p.m., aligning with Valdes’ account of their early arrival. However, she was warned at 9:20 p.m., complied immediately, and remained quiet. Her arrest occurred around 10:30 p.m., yet her citation (DO65970) lists the violation time as 11:37 p.m. The department has provided no explanation for the time gap.

2. No Dispersal Order Issued – Valdes and other witnesses assert no dispersal order was given. LBPD’s response makes no mention of such an order, raising questions about the legal basis for the arrest, including whether the arresting officers personally witnessed the alleged misdemeanor violation as required by law if a citizen arrest is not made.

3. Unidentified Complainants – The statement refers to “victims who identified and desired prosecution” but fails to say who they were. If those individuals were ICE agents or federal personnel, it raises serious constitutional concerns about a local police department enforcing federal interests by suppressing protected speech.

4. Lack of Specific Legal Thresholds – No detail is provided about how “excessive noise” was determined or whether any sound level was measured. Long Beach’s municipal noise ordinance does not go into effect until 10 p.m., and Valdes reports she ceased all noise by 9:30 p.m.

5. Disproportionate Response – Multiple patrol vehicles were dispatched to monitor fewer than two dozen peaceful demonstrators. This stands in stark contrast to the city’s response on June 13–14, when over 150 protesters demonstrated for hours without incident or arrest.

6. Use of Penal Code 415 – This section is typically used for fights, physical confrontations, or highly disruptive conduct. No such behavior was observed, reported, or alleged by police that night.

7. Property Handling and Arrest Protocols – Valdes reports that officers searched her pockets and removed personal belongings without asking permission. LBPD did not comment on whether this action was in line with policy for nonviolent misdemeanor arrests.

8. Lack of Response to Public Records Request – There is no mention of body-worn camera footage, whether it exists, or if it will be reviewed or released. Transparency in this area remains lacking.

9. Ongoing Investigation? The phrase “the investigation is ongoing” appears to conflict with the facts. Both individuals were cited and released, and there have been no reported updates. It suggests the investigation may be nominal rather than active.

Civil Rights Attorney Responds

Thomas Beck, a veteran civil rights attorney known for numerous lawsuits against the City of Long Beach, offered a blistering critique of the department’s response:

“It’s clear the LBPD has chosen to issue a one-paragraph summary that avoids every substantive question they were asked. The department knows who filed the complaint that triggered the arrests – but they won’t say. If the complainants were ICE agents, that’s a major constitutional issue. We would be looking at a local police force effectively criminalizing protected protest to serve a federal agenda.”

Beck also criticized the timeline discrepancy and questioned the arrest’s legality:

“Ms. Valdes complied with officers. She stopped making noise before the 10 p.m. noise ordinance even went into effect. If the department can’t explain why she was arrested an hour later, or why the citation says 11:37 p.m., then we’re not just talking about questionable enforcement – we’re talking about an abuse of process.”

And he took aim at the department’s refusal to name the complainants:

“This city claims to value free expression, but the LBPD’s refusal to identify the individuals who triggered the arrest of two peaceful women speaks volumes. If law enforcement is being used to silence dissent at the request of anonymous government actors, we have a very real problem with democracy in Long Beach.”

The Beachcomber will continue to monitor developments in the case ahead of Carmen Valdes’ court appearance on Sept. 13 at 8:30 a.m. at the George Deukmejian Courthouse.

Stephen Downing is a Long Beach resident and a retired LAPD Deputy Chief of Police.