In response to U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez’s post on X where he alerts the Los Angeles community of Border Patrol presence in the Fashion District, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli quoted the post with:
“A friendly reminder that the public has a First Amendment right to call the number below and provide inaccurate information.”
This was subsequently followed with a photo listing various rapid response network numbers for Kern County, Central Valley, Orange County, Los Angeles, Boyle Heights, San Bernardino/Riverside, CHIRLA, Immigrant Defenders, and the Immigrant Rapid Response Hotline for Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura.
L.A. TACO spoke with one of the listed rapid response groups who stated they have experienced a rise in harassment.
The OC Rapid Response Network (OCRRN) shared this statement with L.A. TACO:
“Bill Assayli’s attempts to target our hotline is a desperate effort to undermine trusted community organizations that provide holistic support to families before and after DHS enforcement actions.
Some of the calls we have received have been profane and harassing, reflecting an intent to intimidate and disrupt—not to engage in good faith. These callers are not representative of our communities; they seek to interfere with systems that exist to keep families safe and informed.
While these calls are disruptive, they do not deter our work. Our hotline exists to receive urgent reports of ICE activity and to support loved ones—both undocumented people and U.S. citizens—who are navigating detention systems for the first time. These are moments of crisis, and accuracy, trust, and care matter.
The hotline has been a powerful tool for building trust and disseminating accurate information, even as this administration continues to target the truth—and those who share it.
We will continue to serve as a trusted resource for our community. Our work is rooted in the humanity and dignity of those most impacted by ICE detention and the criminal justice system, and we remain committed to supporting families through some of their most vulnerable moments.
We are not scared!”
Bill Essayli previously served as the Interim United States Attorney for the Central District of California from April to July of 2025. A federal judge ruled that he had illegally served as the acting U.S. Attorney.
Essayli was disqualified from holding the position because he stayed on beyond the initial interim period without having received official congressional approval. He was immediately reassigned to the First Assistant United States Attorney role.
