Residents urge Upland council to act on ICE raids, call for traffic calming and review of LED signage
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Summary
During public comment at the March 23 meeting residents urged the council to respond to ICE activity affecting local families, called for immigrant‑support policies and a day‑labor site, demanded traffic calming on 14th Street after repeated near‑misses, and asked the council to delay consideration of a larger LED sign at City Hall and review CEQA and code compliance.
Several residents used the public‑comment period at the March 23 Upland City Council meeting to press the council on immigration enforcement, traffic safety and proposed new LED signage.
Eric P opened public comments with an emotional reading about recent ICE actions and community trauma, saying the raids have left people feeling unsafe and calling the situation "a modern day fascist regime." He urged the council to act locally to make residents feel safer even if federal policy cannot be changed.
Tina Silva, who identified herself as a volunteer for immigrant justice, asked the council to establish an immigrant compassion fund for families affected by raids, ban ICE staging on city property, prohibit city contracts that assist immigration enforcement agencies, and create a day‑labor site similar to Pomona’s. "Families in our community are being traumatized every single day," she said.
Faneli Milan, an organizer with the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center, described multiple arrests at a Home Depot site in Upland since June and said nine local residents were deported following an earlier raid; she urged Upland to "stand in solidarity with our immigrant community" and noted nearby cities have passed stronger protections.
Other commenters raised separate concerns. Jeff Persson described ongoing speeding on 14th Street and said repeated complaints to police have not solved the problem; he urged immediate traffic calming measures to prevent a tragedy. Natasha Walton asked the council to continue item 10j concerning LED freeway and City Hall signage, raised glare and wildlife and health concerns, and asked staff to determine whether the proposed Euclid Avenue sign complies with municipal code and CEQA given Euclid Avenue’s listing on the state historic register.
Council members did not take policy action on the public comments at the meeting; some members acknowledged the concerns and said staff would follow up or that items could be brought forward for further study or future agenda consideration.
What happens next: Public comment items remain requests for council/staff follow‑up. Residents who pressed for policy changes would need council direction to place specific policy items on a future agenda.
