California Senator Faces Calls for Ouster After Controversial Remarks at Immigration Summit

<p>California state Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, D-Pasadena, faced calls on September 10, 2026, to resign from her position as chair of the Senate Education Committee after attending an immigration summit where a former professor made inflammatory remarks about an ICE agent.</p><p>Video from the La Defensa Del Pueblo summit showed California State University, Los Angeles, professor Melina Abdullah identifying an ICE agent and instructing the crowd to "f--- him up," suggesting actions that could include exposing immigration agents or making them uncomfortable. Abdullah also encouraged attendees to "study guerrilla warfare."</p><p>California Republican Party delegate and attorney Elizabeth Barcohana stated that Pérez should no longer lead the Senate committee responsible for education policy. Barcohana remarked, "I believe Pérez should be removed as chair of the education committee."</p><p>Abdullah is a professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA and a leader of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, described by the university as a "scholar-activist" connected to broader activist movements.</p><p>After Abdullah’s remarks, Pérez took the microphone and acknowledged their former professor-student relationship, stating, "Y’all, it’s really hard to follow up my old college professor, Dr. Melina Abdullah… It’s such an honor to share space with you and to be able to sit next to you here."</p><p>Pérez later responded to suggestions that she was smiling during the professor's remarks, asserting that a video circulating online was edited. She stated, "I unequivocally condemn violence in all its forms, regardless of who uses it or whom it targets. I do not support, endorse, or condone violence against anyone, and my silence during another panelist’s remarks must never be misrepresented as agreement."</p><p>Pérez emphasized her opposition to violence and stated, "I have consistently opposed the federal government’s cruel immigration enforcement practices while also unequivocally opposing violence in all forms... Political disagreement is not a license for racism, intimidation, or violence."</p><p>Pérez, who holds degrees in political science and economics from Cal State LA, has authored legislation requiring schools to notify communities about immigration enforcement activities. Barcohana linked Pérez’s appearance alongside Abdullah to her role as chair of the Senate Education Committee and her record on immigration enforcement in California schools.</p><p>In a post about the summit, Barcohana criticized Pérez's legislation aimed at alerting schools about immigration enforcement, stating, "Pérez authored the bill that would turn California schools into participants in ICE resistance, rather than a neutral and safe learning environment for children."</p><p>Pérez's SB 98, the Sending Alerts to Families in Education (SAFE) Act, was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2025, requiring K-12 schools and higher education institutions to notify campus communities when immigration enforcement authorities are present on campus.</p><p>Pérez framed the measure as a response to concerns among immigrant students and parents regarding federal enforcement. She stated, "The Trump administration has made clear that no place is safe from mass deportations. Students and parents are rightfully scared. We will not be silent."</p><p>The law was enacted with an urgency clause, making it effective immediately. Pérez has previously criticized federal immigration authorities' presence on campuses, stating, "ICE should have no place on our campuses."</p><p>A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security commented on the situation, stating, "California politicians should focus on educating students, not turning classrooms into sanctuaries for illegal aliens. SB98 is a political stunt designed to create fear, interfere with law enforcement, and shield those who have violated our nation’s law."</p><p>Republican California state Senator Tony Strickland also expressed his views, stating, "The most essential role of government is public safety... Political disagreement does not justify intimidation or putting an officer and his family at risk."</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to Pérez, Abdullah, and Cal State Los Angeles for comment but did not receive a response.</p>