California City Ends Partnership With ICE and DHS

A city in California has terminated its agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house federal immigration detainees at the city’s police department. Knewz.com has learned that this development came as anti-ICE protests carried on in Los Angeles over immigration raids.

Glendale Ends Contract with DHS, ICE

The city of Glendale in California announced that it is ending its contract with DHS and ICE to house federal immigration detainees at the Glendale Police Department facility. The announcement noted that this decision was not “made lightly” and was made after “careful evaluation of legal, operational, and community considerations.” The City Manager’s Office acknowledged that this change might make it difficult for families to visit detainees held by ICE and warned that access to legal counsel might be more limited at other detention facilities. “Our facility offered clean, secure, climate-controlled pods with continuous access to seating areas, telephones, televisions, restrooms, showers, drinking water, and meals, as well as access to virtual and in-person visitation with loved ones — a standard not always met in other facilities,” a press release said. “Nevertheless, despite the transparency and safeguards the City has upheld, the City recognizes that public perception of the ICE contract—no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good—has become divisive.”

Not a Politically Driven Decision

The press release further clarified that the decision to terminate the contract with the DHS and ICE is not politically driven but rather “rooted in what this City stands for—public safety, local accountability, and trust.” The city further stated that Glendale remains in full compliance with California Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), also known as the “California Values Act,” which prevents state and local law enforcement agencies from using their resources for federal immigration enforcement. City officials further emphasized, “The Glendale Police Department does not enforce immigration law. That is not their role, nor will it ever be. … The Glendale Police Department has not engaged in immigration enforcement, nor will it do so moving forward.”

Anti-ICE Protests Erupt in Los Angeles

Glendale’s decision came as anti-ICE protests carried on in Los Angeles over immigration raids. The protests and unrest in Los Angeles were sparked by large-scale immigration enforcement actions, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents reportedly arrested at least 44 undocumented individuals. The raids triggered widespread protests throughout the city, with demonstrators blocking highways, setting vehicles ablaze, and clashing with federal agents. According to reports, protesters targeted self-driving Waymo cars in several instances, setting them on fire. “By evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks of downtown Los Angeles. Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening,” reports have mentioned. To deal with the situation, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum ordering the deployment of “2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness.” In an official letter addressed to Secretary Pete Hegseth, California Governor Gavin Newsom requested to have the National Guard removed from Los Angeles and returned to his command.

Trump Calls Newsom ‘Incompetent’ over L.A. Situation

President Trump launched a fierce attack on Governor Newsom earlier in June, calling him “incompetent” and accusing him of failing to protect federal agents during the ongoing protests in Los Angeles. The President even went so far as to suggest that Newsom should be “arrested” for being the Governor of California because he has done “such a bad job.” Fielding questions from the media in the State Dining Room at the White House, Trump stated: “What crime has [Governor Newsom] committed? I think his primary crime is running for governor because he’s done such a bad job. What he’s done to that state is like what Biden did to this country. And that’s pretty bad. It’s the wrong philosophy. Thousands, hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, many of them prisoners, they’re taking up your healthcare, they’re taking up your space in schools, they’re taking up your hospital. And in many cases, they’re criminals. And we have to do something about it.” Trump further wrote on Truth Social, “The INCOMPETENT Governor of California was unable to provide protection in a timely manner when our Ice Officers, GREAT Patriots they are, were attacked by an out of control mob of agitators, troublemakers, and/or insurrectionists. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

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