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Valparaiso council declines to adopt resolution condemning federal immigration enforcement actions after extended public comment
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment and a split council debate over wording and jurisdiction, the Valparaiso City Council voted on Resolution 3-20-26 — which called for impartial investigations into two deaths during federal immigration enforcement actions — and rejected the measure in a roll-call vote.
Valparaiso City Council considered Resolution 3-20-26, a statement expressing grief and calling for impartial investigations into the deaths of Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Pretti during federal immigration enforcement operations. The council took public comment first and then debated whether the city should issue a statement about federal actions that occurred in another state.
The resolution was read aloud at the start of the meeting by the clerk-treasurer. Councilman Robert Cotton, who introduced the measure, said the draft was intended to affirm "the protections of human life, civil liberties, and constitutional rights" and to request independent oversight when federal enforcement actions result in loss of life. Cotton said he had met with Police Chief Andrew McIntyre to correct a line in the draft about the presence of federal immigration enforcement in Valparaiso and was prepared to accept amendments that add clarity.
Dozens of residents filled the…
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