Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez has apologized after facing backlash for a video she posted on her social media accounts calling on local gang members to stand up against immigration operations taking place across Southern California.

At a Tuesday evening, Gonzalez read from a statement addressing the "short satirical TikTok video" that drew national attention.

Gonzalez explained that she created the video during her personal time on her own account. She said her message was not about violence but about "claiming ownership of our streets in a time of great distress."

In a video, Gonzalez was seen calling out gangs to stand up against the immigration operations taking place across the region. She didn't explicitly refer to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement by name.

"You guys tag everything up, claiming hood, and now that your hood is being invaded by the biggest gang there is, there ain't a peep out of you. It's everyone else that's not about the gang life and out there protesting and speaking up," Gonzalez says in a portion of the since-deleted video.

Her video was posted weeks after immigration operations ramped up across the region, leading to protests and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officials.

In response to Gonzalez's video, the Department of Homeland Security

"The comments made by the Vice Mayor of Cudahy, CA, Cynthia Gonzalez, are despicable. She calls for criminal gangs – including the vicious 18th Street gang—to commit violence against our brave ICE law enforcement, the post read. "This kind of garbage has led to a more than 500 percent increase in assaults against our ICE law enforcement officers."

The city of Cudahy also shared a response to the video, saying that Gonzalez's comments did not represent the city's official position.