Residents urge Mesa to end ICE 287(g) agreement; others defend it as a public-safety tool

Several residents used the city’s public-comment period on Nov. 17 to urge the Mesa City Council to end the city’s 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while other residents spoke in support of keeping it.

Ryan Jarabersch told the council he opposed the agreement and urged its end, saying community members report family members 'have been taken and disappeared' and that the agreement now causes fear for many residents: "Please I oppose this. Please end it." Reggie Braun and other commenters raised concerns about racial profiling and aggressive enforcement tactics. Braun said recent practices made public safety feel like “terror” for people of color and urged the council to reconsider the partnership.

By contrast, Brian Eckerley, a Mesa resident, told the council he supported maintaining 287(g), saying he feels safe and that the program gives police a tool to remove dangerous individuals from the street.

Council did not take immediate formal action on the topic during the meeting; councilmembers thanked speakers and closed the public-comment segment.