This weekend, protests arose in Los Angeles as rumors of ICE raids spread. Against the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom, the Trump Administration sent in the National Guard to attack protestors.

In response, Advocates for Youth Vice President Diana Thu-Thao Rhodes issued the following statement:

“Advocates for Youth condemns the Trump Administration’s escalation of violence against the people of Los Angeles and our country.  

All young people deserve to feel safe in public spaces, and to access the health care, education, and resources they need without threat of deportation.  Yet this Administration sends plainclothes, masked ICE agents for violent attacks on immigrants at work, at school, at health care centers, and during immigration proceedings. We stand with the people of Los Angeles working to protect their neighbors. 

Justice for immigrants is crucial to the work of Advocates for Youth. No young person should be held in a cage and treated as an enemy of the state. Young people are working toward a better and more equitable world, and securing rights and opportunities for migrants is a key part of that vision.”

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Advocates for Youth is a 501(c)3 organization that champions efforts that help young people make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates for Youth boldly advocates for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health, focusing its work on young people ages 14-24 in the U.S. and around the globe.

For Immediate Release: June 9, 2025

Contact: Eleanor Naiman, eleanor.naiman@advocatesforyouth.org