Aurora City Council adopts ordinance restricting use of city property for immigration enforcement

Aurora — The Aurora City Council voted unanimously (11-0) on Nov. 12, 2025 to adopt Ordinance 250898, a measure restricting the use of city-owned property, resources and personnel for civil immigration enforcement.

The ordinance, which councilmembers moved in a special meeting after more than 30 minutes of public comment, prohibits city facilities and employees from being used to facilitate civil immigration actions. Supporters said the measure is intended to protect immigrant families and restore trust between residents and local government.

Why it matters: Residents, educators and community groups told the council they live in fear of immigration enforcement and described instances they said disrupted schools, businesses and health care access. "This ICE free zone ordinance gives us a way forward," said a public commenter, urging passage. Council members framed the ordinance as a municipal tool to reduce community fear while acknowledging limits on local authority.

How the council decided: Alderman Smith moved to consider the item at the special meeting; after committee changes and more than one amendment attempt the council voted to adopt the ordinance. Alderman Larson proposed amendments requiring standardized documentation of visiting federal agents’ identity information "if reasonably possible," but the Larson amendment failed on a roll call vote (2 yes, 9 no). Chief Matt Thomas of the Aurora Police Department told council that the department "doesn't have any concerns with the framework of this" but that the operational details and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for documentation and reporting are typically set by police policy and training.

Public comment and council debate: Dozens of residents spoke during the public comment period. Educators said attendance fell on days with a heavy ICE presence; one speaker cited that 42% of Aurora residents identify as Hispanic or Latino and said that fear affects both documented and citizen students. Multiple witnesses recounted local incidents they described as aggressive enforcement and urged immediate action. Council members emphasized the ordinance is not a cure-all. "This is not a silver bullet," Mayor Lash said during debate, while several aldermen said the ordinance is an important first step toward community safety.

What comes next: The ordinance passed unanimously at roll call. Council and staff signaled that the Aurora Police Department will develop or revise SOPs and training bulletins to implement the ordinance and to document interactions with outside law enforcement as appropriate. Legal staff said the city provides legal support to employees acting within the scope of their employment if subpoenaed in future proceedings.

The council did not specify an immediate enforcement timeline in the meeting record; staff said they will return with implementation details and training materials.

For now the ordinance is adopted and city departments were directed to work on the operational steps needed to put the policy into practice.