Alhambra residents demand action against ICE imposters and racial profiling linked to unlawful detentions, July 7, 2025 (Photo – Ari Gutierrez Arambula)
Constituents Cite Sanctuary City Status as Basis for Proactive Civil Rights Protections; Present Draft Resolution.
By Ari Gutierrez Arambula
In response to growing community outcry, outrage, and fear, the Alhambra City Council held a special meeting on Monday, July 7, 2025, at 2:00 pm to hear public comments on recent, unprecedented raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in communities with large immigrant populations.
Residents voiced concern over aggressive enforcement tactics by masked individuals operating from unmarked vehicles with out-of-state license plates, encounters captured and shared on social media by eyewitnesses. In Alhambra, sightings of ICE teams have been reported at Target, Home Depot, Costco, and other locations, including a bus stop on Atlantic Boulevard at 5:00 am.
Media reports have documented cases in which U.S. citizens were swept up in ICE enforcement actions, detained based solely on general descriptions of Latino and Latina community members at locations where many work as contracted day laborers or self-employed vendors. In one such case, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Latino Ph.D. student arrested by ICE during a raid at the Home Depot in Hollywood.
Cities throughout Los Angeles, Southeast L.A., and the San Gabriel Valley have become flashpoints for intensified ICE activity. Agents have reportedly detained individuals without presenting arrest warrants signed by a judge. In one troubling incident, Huntington Park police arrested a person impersonating an ICE officer, prompting residents and lawmakers to call for greater transparency, including requiring ICE agents to identify themselves and local police to verify the credentials of anyone claiming to be a federal officer.
With more than 15% of residents born outside the U.S., Alhambra’s demographics include 50% Asian Pacific Islanders and 35% Hispanic residents. The city is known for its diverse restaurants and cultural representation.
Alhambra’ Police Chief, Garrett Kennedy, at the City Council meeting on July 7, 2025 (Photo – Melissa Michelson)
Councilwoman Adele Andrade Stadler shared accounts from constituents who had direct encounters with ICE agents, underscoring the emotional and social toll on immigrant families. She introduced a motion calling for a formal city statement and resolution to reaffirm due process protections and to fund multilingual humanitarian outreach and public education, including online classes for students in the Alhambra Unified School District.
Alhambra’s police chief, Garrett Kennedy, reported that ICE typically gives local law enforcement a 30-minute courtesy notice before executing a planned arrest, identifying the lead agent and providing descriptions of ICE vehicles. Under California state law, local police are prohibited from assisting or interfering with federal immigration enforcement but may respond to 911 calls involving public safety.
Following three hours of public testimony in favor of a resolution to enhance public safety and safeguard the civil rights of all residents, the City Council agreed to merge a staff-proposed statement with a community-driven resolution on one recently adopted by the City of Huntington Park. A revised resolution will be presented for final review and a council vote on July 28, 2025.
A recording of the July 7 special council meeting on ICE raids is available at this link.
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