Goleta council adopts resolution calling federal lawmakers to act after regional ICE raids

The Goleta City Council on Monday adopted a resolution calling on the city’s federal representatives to advocate on behalf of immigrants who live and work in Goleta, and directed staff to pursue a package of actions after weeks of regional immigration enforcement activity.

Council members approved the measure unanimously, and instructed staff to request federal records, monitor litigation, pursue state and federal policy remedies, coordinate with regional partners and federal offices, and appropriate $100,000 from the city’s childcare initiatives to fund legal defense, rapid response and community supports administered through the Human Services Committee.

The resolution, numbered 25, was introduced during a special meeting called by the council after high‑profile inspections and enforcement actions in Carpinteria and Camarillo earlier this month that advocates and local officials said had increased fear among immigrants and their families. In presenting legal context to the council, District Attorney John Savernock said the fear on the ground is “real,” and warned that local agencies cannot prevent federal agents with valid warrants from carrying out arrests.

“We do not participate in immigration enforcement,” Lieutenant Frank Vasquez of the Sheriff’s Office told the council. “SB 54, also known as the California Values Act, is a state law that restricts California law…