Dozens of Thousand Oaks residents urge city to adopt noncooperation with ICE, ask for legal-defense support

Dozens of residents told the Thousand Oaks City Council on July 8 that recent immigration enforcement operations in the Conejo Valley have left families afraid to leave their homes and asked the city to take formal steps to limit local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Speakers asked the council to adopt a citywide policy of noncooperation with immigration raids, create or support a legal defense fund for people detained without warrants, prohibit ICE from using city or county property for operations, and host bilingual Know-Your-Rights workshops. "Nothing stops you from speaking out, and silence is complicity," said Diana Terry, a Conejo Valley resident and local business owner. "I'm here because my neighbors are being kidnapped in unmarked vehicles," she told the council.

Jesus Orozco, who identified himself as a 22-year-old Thousand Oaks resident, said immigrants perform essential work for the region and urged the city to adopt policies that limit cooperation with ICE. "ICE is not making our community safe," Orozco said. "We are scared to go to work, stores, parks, and schools." Joseph Alfano, another commenter, asked the council to establish a legal-defense fund and to host Know-Your-Rights demonstrations throughout the city. Melissa Soriano, a community advocate with VC Defensa, described recent actions as "plainly kidnappings" and urged local leaders to stop enabling federal tactics she called unlawful.

Representatives of community groups asked the council to follow other local governments' examples. Willie Lupka, a steering-committee member of Buen Vecino and the 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network, urged the council to examine the Ventura CARE resolution and other city models that limit use of local resources for immigration enforcement and create a legal-assistance fund for impacted households.

Council members and staff responded that they had heard the speakers and would pursue follow-up. Council member Tay Gutierrez, participating remotely, said she "stands in solidarity" with residents and described ongoing requests she has made to staff and peers. Council member Adam said, "to my knowledge, there's no collaboration with ICE" by city staff, and noted the city already supports local nonprofit services. Council member Engler said he and others have volunteered with community groups responding to enforcement activity.

City Manager Drew Powers said Chief Perez and staff would be available to continue dialogue after the meeting and that Melissa Hurtado from Community Services could help organize workshops at city facilities. The council asked staff to continue communication with Ventura County law enforcement and community organizations; the sheriff's office later summarized steps it said it would take to verify federal-agent identity and record interactions.

No formal council action was taken on the public comments at the July 8 meeting. Speakers and community groups left the meeting urging the council to consider formal noncooperation language, dedicate city resources for community outreach and legal aid, and set up a public forum similar to events held in neighboring cities.

The council did not vote on ordinance or policy changes related to immigration enforcement at the meeting; staff said any formal change would be brought back for council consideration. Staff suggested continuing community workshops and coordination with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and local nonprofits as near-term next steps.

Ending: The council did not adopt a noncooperation resolution at the July 8 meeting, but members and staff committed to follow-up meetings with the sheriff's office, community organizations and to exploring workshops and resources requested by speakers.