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Residents urge Costa Mesa to restrict cooperation with ICE, require agent identification and fund legal aid
Summary
Dozens of residents at the July 15 Costa Mesa City Council meeting urged the city to adopt a resolution limiting local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, require federal agents to identify themselves and wear no masks during enforcement, and to support legal defense and notification measures for immigrant residents.
Dozens of Costa Mesa residents used the July 15 public-comment period to press the City Council for actions aimed at limiting federal immigration enforcement tactics they said are terrorizing neighborhoods.
Speakers described local incidents and national trends and asked the city to adopt a formal resolution directing no cooperation with ICE, to require federal agents operating in the city to show agency identification and refrain from wearing masks during enforcement, to use the city's alert system to notify residents of enforcement activity when possible, and to allocate or help raise funds for legal defense and rapid-response services.
The request came during an extended public comment session dominated by immigration enforcement concerns. Residents described people being detained in unmarked vehicles, agents wearing masks that conceal identity, and families who are too fearful to send children to school or attend community events. "They should not be permitted to wear masks or obscure their identities while conducting enforcement actions in our neighborhoods," said a social worker and Costa Mesa resident, who urged a requirement for visible identification. Other speakers pressed for a public-notification policy and a city-funded legal-defense or mutual-aid fund for affected households.
Speakers cited existing actions by neighboring cities and state proposals in Congress as models. Several commenters referenced state and federal rules they said bear on the subject, including 8 C.F.R. § 287.8 (on identification at time of arrest) and recent federal guidance included in the National Defense Authorization Act requiring visible identification for some federal personnel responding to civil disturbances. They also pointed to local examples: Santa Ana and Huntington Park have passed measures seeking to limit local coordination with federal immigration enforcement and to require identification and marked vehicles for agents.
Council members and staff responded that the council has limited authority over federal agents but said the city can take steps to protect public safety and trust. Council members said staff is updating the city's "Know Your Rights" resources and offered to work with local nonprofit and county partners to identify legal-defense and rapid-response options. The mayor noted that the Costa Mesa Police Department will respond to calls for crimes regardless of immigration status and asked residents to call 911 if they believe a crime — including an unlawful detention — is in progress.
Several residents asked the council to agendize a formal resolution. Council members said they supported additional outreach and directed staff to explore options including: (1) an agenda item to consider a formal city resolution regarding identification and non-cooperation policies; (2) improved city guidance and outreach about residents' rights; (3) information and referral for legal services and emergency mutual-aid funds; and (4) coordination with Orange County agencies and neighboring cities about shared responses.
The council did not vote on a resolution at the July 15 meeting. Several council members said they would return to the issue at a future meeting with draft language, legal analysis and options for partnerships with nonprofit legal-aid organizations.
