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Tempe candidates: city can’t override ICE but should limit local cooperation and review surveillance contracts
Summary
Candidates told voters Tempe can’t stop federal ICE enforcement but can limit city cooperation, educate residents about rights and reconsider surveillance contracts (Flock), with some calling for ordinances prohibiting city employee cooperation with ICE.
When asked how Tempe should respond to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, candidates at a Tempe forum largely agreed on one legal point and varied on policy measures.
Bernetta Hodge and other candidates emphasized that ICE is a federal agency and that the city cannot override federal enforcement. "ICE is federal and we are city," Hodge said, adding that Tempe should ensure local police do not assist federal enforcement beyond observing activities and protecting residents.
Several candidates advocated for city actions short of challenging federal authority. Brooke St. George and others proposed ordinances to prohibit city employees from detaining people based solely on immigration status, to cancel certain surveillance contracts (citing Flock cameras), and to expand public education campaigns about residents' rights when federal agents operate in the community.
Speakers raised concerns about Flock-brand camera contracts and said court documents show third-party access in some cases; those claims were presented by candidates as reasons to review or cancel the contract. Candidates also urged collaboration with school districts and mutual-aid groups to protect families and to ensure communications about rights and processes reach affected communities.
No formal policy vote occurred at the forum. Candidates framed these steps as possible council actions rather than immediate directives, and they emphasized balancing constitutional protections, public safety and residents' concerns.
