Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security officers walk ahead of a bus at the DHS field office in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday, May 4, 2025. Multiple immigrant rights groups gathered to protest what they believed to be a multiagency operation to detain noncitizens overnight.
Glendale, California – In the shadow of widespread protests and deepening political divides over immigration policy, the city of Glendale announced Sunday that it will terminate its long-standing agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house federal detainees in its city jail. The move comes as unrest intensifies across Southern California following recent federal immigration raids and the controversial deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
City officials framed the decision as consistent with local values rather than a political statement. “This is not politically driven,” read a statement from the city. “It is rooted in what this city stands for — public safety, local accountability, and trust.” Still, Glendale’s announcement arrives at a time when tensions between California’s state government and the Trump administration are escalating dramatically, with Governor Gavin Newsom openly defying federal action and preparing a legal challenge to Trump’s use of the National Guard.
Glendale’s jail, located just nine miles from recent flashpoints in downtown Los Angeles, had held 82 ICE detainees since January, according to city officials. Detainees reportedly stayed between six and 12 hours and were not fingerprinted or booked. The jail provided only food, water, and medical care. Nevertheless, civil rights groups and residents questioned the optics and legality of the arrangement, especially given California’s 2017 sanctuary law (SB 54), which restricts the use of local facilities for federal immigration enforcement.
“The Glendale contract with ICE is helping the Trump administration carry out its mass deportation agenda,” said Andres Kwon of the ACLU, who labeled the policy “racist” and in violation of constitutional and human rights.
The city acknowledged these concerns, noting the perception of complicity had become “divisive” within the community. At a recent council meeting, an immigration attorney claimed her client was denied food at the facility, further fueling calls for the contract’s termination.
While the city emphasized its full compliance with SB 54, the timing of the decision underscores how local issues have become entangled in national political conflict. Protests near the Metropolitan Detention Center, along with unrest in San Francisco, where 60 demonstrators were arrested Sunday, suggest that opposition to immigration enforcement is broadening.
