LOS ANGELES — The scene at the dais in Riverside's City Council chambers looked a bit different on a recent Monday morning: Instead of men and women in business attire, children wearing navy blue T-shirts emblazoned with vibrant orange and yellow butterfly wings occupied the swivel chairs. The children were participating in a mock council meeting as part of a summer leadership program run by ...

Zachary Roman tours The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art& Culture with TODEC, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Riverside, California.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

LOS ANGELES — The scene at the dais in Riverside's City Council chambers looked a bit different on a recent Monday morning: Instead of men and women in business attire, children wearing navy blue T-shirts emblazoned with vibrant orange and yellow butterfly wings occupied the swivel chairs.

The children were participating in a mock council meeting as part of a summer leadership program run by TODEC, a legal center serving immigrants and farmworkers in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley. The organization brought kids from across Coachella Valley and nearby cities to the Riverside City Council to give them hands-on learning experience on civic engagement and culture.

The annual field trip had a different tone this year, however, as immigration enforcement raids have swept their communities. Since June, the children have witnessed friends self-deport with their families, learned a local youth soccer coach was detained and have seen their own undocumented family members change daily routines in fear.

Against this backdrop, choosing an issue to tackle as they sat at the wooden City Council desk was easy. For the group of 22 children, ages 4 to 17, curbing fear over the unfolding raids and ongoing family separations was front and center.

"When people are going through stuff like that they get emotional and they get sad," explained incoming fifth-grader Montserrat Garcia, leaning into the microphone as she assumed the role of mayor.

After a bit of discussion and guidance from Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and TODEC executive director Luz Gallegos, the mock city council unanimously voted to fund mental health workshops for their community.

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Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, right, hosts TODEC campers Cristian Romero, left, Samantha Rivera and Victoria Mata on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Riverside, California.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

"They are learning the building blocks. They are being the change that needs to be seen," said chaperone Julio Roman, dad to a 6- and 9-year-old on the trip. "If you read about it, you hear about it in books, it's nothing like being here and having the privilege of coming in and actually seeing how the process works."

Using civic knowledge to push for change

That's been the intention of Monarcas Luchadoras, which translates to monarchs in the struggle. The program aims to equip school-age children, many of whom are immigrants or come from immigrant families, with an understanding of how to enact change. They've learned how laws are passed as well as how to recognize problems in their community and push for solutions through organizing.

Though the mission hasn't wavered over the program's nearly four decades, it has felt especially important this summer, she said — especially as kids are confronted with very real fears over separation.

"It's a very different program to other summers," said Gallegos, who is an alumna of the program. "We see the pain in the kids."

The conversations the younger kids are having aren't too different from those of the older ones, Gallegos said. They have all wanted to know why events are unfolding and how they align with American values.

"We are seeing kids as young as 4 years old knowing what ICE is, knowing that they may be undocumented, knowing that their parents and family and friends are undocumented," she said.

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TODEC members pose for a group photo at city hall, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, in Riverside, California.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

The students took advantage of a rare field trip and explored art installations at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture and learned about the historical figures whose statues make up the city's Civil Rights Walk.

At the museum, a few kids lingered in front of a painting of a low rider, while others ran toward an installation with glass seashells typically used to call out to gods such as the Aztec goddess Cihuateotl, who was depicted at the installation.

"They're teaching me how to keep up our culture, how to help other people, not just ourselves, how to be nice and kind, how to be respectful," fifth-grader Garcia said.

Stepping up for Riverside's immigrant community

The children have learned a lot just by being in the environment, said Linda Cruz, whose three children soaked in the new experiences, including her 3-year-old daughter Mia, who joins the group at events like Monday's field trip.

Her children have also helped TODEC pack groceries and educational materials for families too scared to leave their homes.

"They're seeing the anxiety, and they're also seeing that, with that anxiety, they can do something," Cruz said. "It's giving them confidence that I think a lot of people in our community lack."

Gallegos and other TODEC leaders have pushed kids to think about solutions even if they're not old enough to vote. The center has also taken children to Sacramento, Moreno Valley and Riverside County to speak on how immigration enforcement has affected their friends and families.

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Children from Coachella Valley and nearby cities enjoy the scenery of downtown Riverside, California, while on a field trip with a TODEC, a legal center in the Inland Empire serving immigrants and farmworkers, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

And they've encouraged kids to share their own ideas as they learn to use their voices. Zoey Roman, 9, wants to find more ways to help families pay for groceries as parents stay home from work because of the raids.

"You guys have power," Gallegos reminded the group as the youthful city council prepared to cast their mock vote calling for community mental health services. "Without your voice things can't happen."