In January 2026, the City Council unanimously updated its anti-ICE immigration enforcement policies in response to increased federal enforcement under the Trump administration. This included \u201creaffirming\u201d protections for immigrants, free speech rights for protesters, and limits on local assistance with ICE. This really wasn\u2019t an update at all, just a reaffirmation of their existing policy.<\/p>\n
California passed Senate Bill 54<\/a> in 2017 during President Trump\u2019s first term, which unconstitutionally prohibits local police departments and sheriffs\u2019 deputies from assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and enforcing federal immigration laws. This law led to cities attempting to beef up ant-immigration enforcement policies.<\/p>\n Council members Mai Vang, Eric Guerra, and Karina Talamantes sponsored a separate, more specific resolution, which now targets the use of city property. It directs the City Manager to develop a policy banning ICE and other federal officials from using city properties for \u201ccivil immigration<\/a>-enforcement activities.\u201d<\/p>\n Sacramento\u2019s numpty officials are signaling their virtue by boosting this policy. The Sacramento Law & Legislation Committee voted unanimously<\/a> Tuesday to forward a council resolution.<\/p>\n Such a city ordinance or resolution does not clearly violate federal law, though its practical enforcement is limited and it could face legal challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cImmigrant communities are at the heart of Sacramento\u2019s culture and commerce,\u201d said Mayor Kevin McCarty. \u201cWe will continue to stand up for these communities and work to protect their safety and security.\u201d<\/p>\n Note he did not say illegal immigrants \u2013 he\u2019s conflating the two.<\/p>\n \u201cSince 1985, Sacramento has been a self-designated sanctuary city, and I\u2019m proud those same values are reflected today, 40 years later,\u201d said Mayor Pro Tem Eric Guerra. \u201cWith this and state law, Sacramento police officers are prohibited from asking for immigration status or assisting in immigration enforcement. Sacramento will not turn its back on the community.\u201d<\/p>\n What community? Those in the country legally or illegally?<\/p>\n The City reported<\/a> this action came after more than a dozen public commenters urged the committee to move faster and to add \u201cbinding safeguards\u201d \u2014 including a data-sanctuary<\/a> policy, explicit prohibitions on police department participation in joint task forces with federal immigration authorities, clear signage, reporting requirements and civil penalties for violations.<\/p>\n The City cannot legally impose explicit prohibitions on police department participation in joint task forces with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n \u201cImmediate action from the city is needed to protect the constitutional rights of the people who live and work here,\u201d said Rhonda Rios Kravitz of the Sacramento Immigration Coalition, who testified in support of the proposal and asked the council to require the city to post clear signage, keep records of incidents, and direct employees to report attempted uses of city property for immigration enforcement. Jim Gonzales, chair of the Latino Economic Council, told the committee Sacramento must \u201ccontrol where the city controls its own property\u201d so it \u201cdoesn\u2019t become staging areas for ICE<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Are they talking about all immigrants or protecting illegal immigrants?<\/p>\n Several speakers sought broader measures than the resolution as written. Moiz Mir of the Asian American Liberation Network said community engagement has been extensive \u2014 he cited the Jan. 27 council meeting and hundreds of submitted e-comments \u2014 and alleged that the Sacramento Police Department earlier shared license-plate reader<\/a> data with out-of-state agencies until June 2024. \u201cWe are demanding that you stop harming us,\u201d another speaker said, accusing the police department of aligning with federal enforcement while harm continues, City Express reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are demanding that you stop harming us.\u201d Who is the city harming?<\/p>\n Council members acknowledged the urgency and the range of questions raised during testimony. Chairwoman Caity Maple said the committee heard a \u201csense of urgency\u201d and requested staff provide additional information to the full council about mask-rule court decisions, how the city\u2019s participation in the joint terrorism task force interacts with data sharing, and the status of policing and protest responses at the John Moss Building<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019d love that information to come to the full council,\u201d Chairwoman Maple said.<\/p>\n Chairwoman Maple should note that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals just issued an injunction blocking enforcement of California\u2019s laws targeting federal ICE agents, requiring them to \u201cunmask\u201d and display visible name and badge number. A three judge panel in the 9th Circuit agreed with the Trump administration that the California law violated the Constitution\u2019s Supremacy Clause by interfering with federal officers\u2019 duties.<\/p>\n This is a resolution, not a binding ordinance, so it has limited enforcement power. It\u2019s just more virtue signaling by feckless council members who could have told the protesting Woodstock relics that the city already has anti-ICE immigration policy in place, and cannot legally impose or enforce any more without violating federal law.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Sacramento can direct its own property and employees not to facilitate ICE civil operations, it cannot create \u201cno-go\u201d zones for federal agents enforcing the law.<\/p>\n