A Democratic mayoral candidate in Long Beach, California, is taking an unusual campaign route—by publicly inviting 55 gang leaders to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rogelio Martinez, one of five declared candidates for the city’s November 2026 mayoral race, posted a video on Instagram calling for an “ICE FREE” Long Beach and asking gang leaders to gather at City Hall.
In the video, recorded in front of Long Beach City Hall, Martinez introduced himself and issued a direct appeal: “I am calling all 55 gangs in my beautiful city. I expect a gang leader from every gang.” He went on to list Latino, Cambodian, Filipino, Black, and Pacific Islander gangs, saying he wanted them to meet him in person “to take back this city” because current leadership is “not doing anything” and police are “powerless.”
Martinez later told the Daily Caller News Foundation that his goal was never to incite violence but to show that “every member of the city is part of the community.” He described the video as a “crazy, radical but fresh approach” to draw attention to what he says is happening in predominantly Hispanic and Latino cities. He added that he was surprised the video went viral nationally.
As of Sunday afternoon, Martinez admitted none of the 55 gang leaders had contacted him. He explained this was intentional because he did not name any specific gangs. According to him, that meant no gang members would realistically respond or show up. In other words, it was a message meant to shock, not a meetup meant to happen—political theater with a side of Instagram.
About 44% of Long Beach residents are Hispanic or Latino, 13% are Asian, and 12% are Black, based on 2024 Census Bureau estimates. In the video, Martinez said, “Enough is enough. ICE needs to get out of Long Beach,” claiming this was the only way he knew how to push them out “peacefully, but with strong force.”
He also made a point of defending local police, saying, “The police are not doing anything wrong. I’m not here to defund the police.” He said he supports the Long Beach Police Department but believes they are “powerless against ICE.” In an interview, Martinez added that he is “100% supportive” of local police and argued that if he were mayor, the department would work for him, so it would make no sense to oppose them.
Martinez, who describes himself as a political outsider, is a grandfather of two, a licensed steam engineer, and says he is enrolled in online classes at Harvard Law School. He entered the race after incumbent Democratic Mayor Rex Richardson’s city government attempted to raise the local sales tax rate earlier than voters had approved. Martinez called that move “taxation without representation.”
Although both Martinez and Richardson are Democrats, Long Beach’s mayoral race is officially nonpartisan. Martinez said he is not a career politician and must campaign in an unorthodox way to get attention. “I need to do things out of the box,” he said, pointing directly to the viral video as an example.
While critics see the call to gang leaders as reckless, Martinez insists it was symbolic and meant to spark conversation about ICE’s role in the city. Whether it brings him votes or just headlines remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: in California politics, even calling out gang leaders can now be framed as “community outreach.” And in a country that still believes in law and order, voters will ultimately decide whether that’s leadership—or just noise.
