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Residents press Montclair council for $300,000 emergency fund, ban on ICE staging and contract limits
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Summary
At an April Montclair City Council meeting, residents and advocates urged the council to create a local support fund, ban ICE from staging on city property and stop city contracts that provide data-sharing to immigration enforcement; an advocate group provided counts of reported incidents and staff said a report will be prepared for council consideration.
Residents and immigrant-rights advocates urged the Montclair City Council to take immediate local action after repeated reports of immigration-enforcement activity in the city, asking for a $300,000 emergency support fund, a prohibition on ICE using city property for operations and a ban on city contracts that facilitate data-sharing with immigration authorities.
The appeals came during the public-comment period, where dozens of speakers described alleged early-morning detentions, abandoned vehicles and community fear. "Since the judge's decision, and yet you still refuse to resign, after being found liable for ****** harassment," Alice Garcia told the council, calling for the resignation of a council member and for systemic action.
Benjamin Wood, legal director at the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice, said his organization's quick data pull showed 72 reported incidents in Montclair since Jan. 25, 2025, with 15 "confirmed arrests" in which family members provided corroborating details. Wood cautioned that the numbers came from a rapid pull and are not a comprehensive audit: "This is just a quick pull. It's not a deep crunch of data," he said.
Multiple speakers requested a municipal emergency fund — several suggested $300,000 — to provide legal and financial support to families when a primary earner is detained. They also asked the council to adopt a policy banning ICE from staging on city property, remove surveillance tools they said feed immigration enforcement (they cited Flock cameras), and publicly investigate why specific neighborhoods appear disproportionately targeted.
City Manager Ed told the council he will prepare an agenda report that addresses these requests and the broader questions raised by residents, including funding options and legal limitations. He warned that some measures (for example, restricting federal agents' conduct) are constrained by federal authority but said staff will present options: "I will bring all of these issues forward and discuss them with you and give you the opportunity to direct staff," he said.
The meeting included several personal accounts from residents and organizers describing trauma and community impact; the council did not take immediate legislative action but directed staff to return with an informational report and recommendations for council consideration.
Next step: the city manager will prepare an agenda report summarizing possible local responses, funding scenarios and legal constraints for a future council meeting.
