Dozens of residents used the public-comment period at a Whittier City Council meeting to demand that the city act after reported federal immigration enforcement operations in the area.

Speakers described masked agents detaining people in public spaces, said operations were happening near children and libraries, and called on the council to declare Whittier a sanctuary city, stop city cooperation with ICE, remove surveillance-camera access that residents say federal agents use, and create rapid-response and legal defense supports for impacted families.

Catherine Lerman, a Whittier resident, said her 5‑year‑old son had a “close encounter” with agents staged at the Whittier Public Library parking lot and called the deployments “a reckless operation that jeopardized innocent lives.” Pancho, another resident, told the council, “His silence is not a neutral position. It's complicity,” referring to Mayor Joe Vinatieri’s response to the events. Nicole Ortiz, president of the Whittier Bar Association, offered to share a Know‑Your‑Rights card and urged the council “to please find solutions and to protect our right to due process.”

Speakers across the meeting asked the council to take several steps: publicly condemn the raids; instruct the police department to intervene or set clear protocols for interactions with federal agents; affirm sanctuary-city protections; establish a rapid response network to notify and protect residents during raids; and fund legal representation for affected families. Residents also urged removing or restricting third‑party access to Flock surveillance data, which some speakers said had been used to track people.

Councilmembers discussed how to respond but did not adopt a new ordinance or resolution during the meeting. Councilmember Kathy Warner said staff had prepared joint statements that would include council members’ comments and sentiments. Councilmember Mary Anne Pacheco and others asked staff to prepare clear, public information about what the city can and cannot do, and about residents’ legal rights. City Manager McNamara reported no closed‑session actions that would change that status.

The meeting record shows robust community concern: organizers estimated about 30 public speakers and multiple neighborhood protests in recent days. Residents also pointed to broader impacts they described, including children afraid to attend school, workers skipping shifts and losing income, and community disruption in commercial areas. Several speakers cited statewide or historical references — for example, one speaker recited a passage referencing the 13th Amendment to emphasize the moral stakes — but no legal changes were enacted during the meeting.

The council did not vote on any immigration‑related motions at this session. Staff and council members said they would prepare materials and may coordinate with community groups and the Whittier Bar Association on outreach and “Know‑Your‑Rights” information; residents said that is not the substitute for immediate policy steps they seek.

Residents said they will continue pressing the council for formal measures, including a sanctuary declaration and operational directives to the police department and city staff.