La Colonia Barrio

La Colonia Barrio is a neighborhood located in the central portion of the city of Oxnard, California. It is bordered by Oxnard Blvd. to the west; 3rd St. to the south; Rose Ave. on the east and Camino Del Sol to the north. It is home to lower-income families and the infamous chiques gang. It is also home to the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club, which has produced notable fighters such as Fernando Vargas, Robert Garcia and Victor Ortiz.

In June 2004 the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura County Sheriff imposed a gang injunction in over a convert|6.6|sqmi|km2|sing=on area of the city in order to restrict gang activity. Some political activists lobbied against the injunction arguing that it amounted to racial discrimination, noting that its provisions against the wearing of Dallas Cowboys attire (the Cowboys' training camp is in Oxnard) was tantamount to "fashion policing," a violation of free expression, its provision against public assembly was unconstitutional, and that it was generally too broad to be effective.

However, other residents, long been upset over criminal gang activity in their neighborhoods, supported the gang injunction. The injunction proved to be an effective tool against Oxnard's biggest and most dangerous gangs. It survived a court challenge to be upheld in the Ventura County Superior Court; the law was made permanent in 2005.