Dozens urge Salt Lake City Council to refuse voluntary cooperation with ICE; mayor's office says SLCPD does not collaborate on immigration enforcement

Dozens of Salt Lake City residents used the Jan. 13 general comment hour to press the council and mayor's office to adopt formal protections against federal immigration-enforcement actions. Speakers asked the council to refuse voluntary cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), require judicial warrants before allowing federal access to city records or facilities, mandate public reporting of all interactions with federal agencies, and fund community education and oversight.

Audra Carlisle, a public educator from the Marmalade neighborhood, asked the council to "refuse voluntary cooperation with ICE" and listed specific policy steps including judicial-warrant requirements, public reporting, and ending use of city funds or facilities for immigration enforcement. Several other commenters (including Milo Myers, Joan Gregory, Diane Lewis and others) recounted national incidents and local reports and urged immediate council action.

Council member (speaker 16) asked the mayor's office several questions: whether the Salt Lake City Police Department collaborates with ICE; whether SLCPD shares funds, data, or other assistance with ICE; and whether the city would enter 287(g) agreements. A mayor's office representative (speaker 21) replied: "The Salt Lake City Police Department does not collaborate with ICE on immigration related operations." The representative added the city does collaborate with federal agencies on violent-crime investigations in circumstances where ICE may be involved, said the city would not enter 287(g) agreements, and stated on funding for immigration-related enforcement: "no. We do not." On data sharing the speaker said it is more complex but emphasized that the city "would never share data with ICE if there is a circumstance where we have a violent criminal who may have an immigration issue that ICE would be involved in."

Several speakers also urged the council to pass a resolution calling for the abolition of ICE, to restore unlimited public comment periods, and to provide resources and advisory bodies to protect immigrant residents. Council member Lopez Chavez thanked commenters, shared a personal family history involving immigration enforcement, said the chief of police "is supportive of codifying this, and has ensured me that we will not work with ICE," and pledged to continue the work and conversations.

What happens next: No ordinance or binding policy was adopted at the Jan. 13 meeting; council members signaled they will continue discussions and follow up with staff and the mayor's office on possible codified protections.