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CC - ACTION ITEM: Discussion and Direction Regarding Options for Restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from Using City Owned or Controlled Land and Facilities for Civil Immigration Enforcement.
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Meeting Date: January 26, 2026
Contact Person/Dept.: Monica Kilaita/City Attorney’s Office
Phone Number: (310) 253-5660
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/22/2026)
Department Approval: Heather Baker, City Attorney (01/21/2026) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council discuss and provide direction regarding options for restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using City owned or controlled land and facilities for civil immigration enforcement.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
At the City Council meeting of January 12, 2026, Mayor Puza received consensus to agendize a discussion of establishing “ICE-free zones” and building upon the City’s existing sanctuary city policies by restricting federal civil immigration enforcement agencies from using City owned or controlled land and facilities for civil immigration enforcement.
Culver City Sanctuary City Policy
On March 27, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution 2017-R025, declaring Culver City to be a Sanctuary City for all its residents regardless of immigration status (Attachment 1). The Resolution specifies as follows:
• City officials will require a judicial warrant before detaining an individual or prolonging a detention in any manner at the request of federal immigration authorities.
• City officials will require a judicial warrant before arresting, detaining or transporting an individual solely on the basis of an immigration detainer or other administrative document.
• Unless pursuant to a court order or a legitimate law enforcement purpose unrelated to civil immigration law, City officials will not permit federal immigration authorities access to City facilities or to any person in City custody, subject to the California Truth Act.
• City officials will require federal immigration authorities to wear jackets and badges when given access to City facilities, so that they are clearly identified as federal agents.
• City officials will not inquire into the immigration status of any individual, unless there is a legitimate law enforcement purpose unrelated to civil immigration law, or where required by law to verify eligibility for a benefit or service.
• City officials will not voluntarily release personally identifiable information to federal immigration authorities, or information that may be used to ascertain an individual's race, religion or ethnicity, unless for a law enforcement purpose unrelated to the enforcement of civil immigration law.
• City officials will not engage in surveillance of any person or group based solely on their actual or perceived religion, ethnicity, race or immigration status.
• Any person who alleges a violation of the above policies may file a written complaint with the City.
• City officials will not detain, interrogate, or arrest an individual based on their perceived race, national origin, religion, language, or immigration status.
The Resolution also states:
• No City agency, department, officer, employee, or agent shall use City funds, resources, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law, unless such assistance is required by any valid and enforceable federal or state law or is contractually obligated. This prohibition shall include, but not be limited to, assisting with or participating in any immigration enforcement operation or joint operation or patrol that involves, in whole or in part, the enforcement of federal immigration law, except for purposes of protecting the public safety.
• No City agency, department, officer, employee, or agent shall use City funds, resources, facilities, property, equipment, or personnel to assist any federal program requiring the registration of individuals on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity, including those persons of the Muslim faith or those perceived to be of the Muslim faith, and/or of Middle Eastern descent.
Finally, the Resolution states that the City shall continue to follow its policies to prevent bias-based policing and law enforcement personnel will continue to exercise discretion to favor citing and releasing individuals in lieu of arrest or continued detention, where consistent with protecting public safety.
Other Cities/Counties
The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed how other California public agencies are handling this issue and identified two potential options - a resolution or ordinance. If City Council desires to move forward, the City Attorney’s Office recommends a resolution, as it is more compatible with the City’s existing Sanctuary City resolution. The City Attorney’s Office further recommends including lawful limitations and exceptions, such as judicial warrants and other court orders, similar to other cities discussed below.
City of San Jose Resolution: The City of San Jose adopted a Resolution approving a council policy prohibiting the use of city parking lots, vacant lots, and garages for civil immigration enforcement staging areas, processing locations or operation bases. (See Attachment 2 for a copy of San Jose’s staff report and resolution.) The following is a brief overview of the resolution/policy:
• Prohibition on use of city parking lots, garages and open spaces for civil immigration enforcement, including staging area, processing location or operations base.
• Exception for property subject to an existing lease, license, operator agreement or other contractual restriction to which the City is a party.
• Policy is not intended to restrict or interfere with the execution of lawful judicial warrants or enforcement of criminal law or limiting the rights of any person or entity under state or federal law.
County of Santa Clara Resolution: The County of Santa Clara adopted a Resolution adding policies limiting the use of county property to uses that further county purposes and access to county services. (See Attachment 3 for a copy of Santa Clara County’s staff report and resolution.) The following is a brief overview of the resolution/policy:
• Prohibition on use of county-owned or county-controlled parking lot, vacant lot, or parking garage for any purpose not expressly authorized by the county. The prohibited examples include a staging area, processing location or operations base for federal civil immigration enforcement activities.
• Prohibition on county departments, agencies, officers or employees from giving consent for federal officials to use county-owned or county-controlled parking lot, vacant lot, or parking garage for a staging area, processing location or operations base for federal civil immigration enforcement activities, and not purported consent by an employee shall be deemed consent by county for such use.
• Prohibition on county departments, agencies, officers or employees from giving consent for federal officials to access or use non-public areas of county facilities for civil immigration enforcement purposes without a valid arrest warrant.
• Policy shall not impair any lease, license or other property interest or contractual restriction in existence prior to the adoption of the policy.
• Policy shall not be construed as restricting or interfering with the execution of valid judicial warrants or court orders or enforcement of criminal law, or limiting the rights of any person or entity under state or federal law.
City of Pinole Ordinance: The City of Pinole adopted an ordinance restricting the use of city-owned or city-controlled property for federal civil immigration enforcement activities (Attachment 4). The following is a brief overview of the ordinance:
• City departments, employees, officials, contractors or agents are prohibited from knowingly permitting city-owned or city-controlled property to be used for staging operations, processing, interviewing or temporarily detaining individuals, surveillance or monitoring activities or operations bases, coordination points or logistical hubs for civil immigration enforcement activities.
• Exception where department’s, employee’s, official’s, contractor’s or agent’s cooperation is required by a valid judicial warrant or court order.
• Exception for federal officers or employees to enter areas of city property generally open to the public.
• Exception for criminal enforcement activities where civil immigration enforcement is not the primary purpose.
County of Los Angeles: The County Board of Supervisors, on January 13, 2026, approved a motion to place an item on the agenda within 30 days to consider an ordinance doing the following:
• Prevent county-owned or county-controlled real and personal property from being used for other than county purposes, including civil enforcement staging, processing or operations.
• Exception for lawful judicial warrants or enforcement of criminal law and does not limit the rights of any person or entity under state or federal law.
• Requires a civil law enforcement entity to seek a permit from the County to conduct any civil law enforcement staging, processing, or operations in advance of such operations, with exception for exigent circumstances or a judicial warrant.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact from discussing and providing direction regarding this matter. Depending on the direction received, there may be a minimal amount of fiscal impact in the form of staff time and resources.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2026-01-26_ATT 1_Resolution No. 2017-R025 (Culver City Sanctuary City Policy)
2. 2026-01-26_ATT 2_San Jose Staff Report and Resolution
3. 2026-01-26_ATT 3_County of Santa Clara Staff Report and Resolution
4. 2026-01-26_ATT 4_City of Pinole Ordinance
recommended action
MOTION(S)
That the City Council:
Discuss and provide direction regarding options for restricting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using city owned or controlled land and facilities for civil immigration enforcement.