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Immigrant advocates press Ontario council for transparency on ICE actions and creation of legal defense fund
Summary
Speakers at the Ontario City Council meeting urged the council to demand a report on recent Ontario Police Department actions tied to ICE operations and to establish a municipal legal defense fund to help immigrant residents; no council action on those demands was taken at the meeting.
Javier Gomez, a representative of Centro Migrante, told the Ontario City Council on Tuesday that residents are “deeply concerned with the recent attacks on our immigrant community” and urged the mayor and council to prioritize transparency and safety.
Advocates from several local groups asked the council to demand a full report from the Ontario Police Department on its role during recent ICE actions, and to create a city-funded legal defense or “compassion” fund to help families affected by raids. "We are calling for immediate action," Javier Gomez said during public comment, urging a public commitment to transparency and legal protections.
Why it matters: Speakers said local residents have been frightened by incidents they described as warrantless or aggressive enforcement, and they pointed to other Southern California jurisdictions that have set aside local money for affected families. Tina Silva cited examples and figures from other cities: "Costa Mesa created an 'Enough for All' fund with $100,000 from their contingency fund," she said, adding that Los Angeles Unified set aside $1,000,000 for students and families and Long Beach allocated $250,000 for rent, food and legal support.
Multiple commenters described incidents they said undermined public trust. Brian Sanchez of the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice asked the council to "commit to public transparency and demand a full report of OPD's actions on the July 21 Stater Brothers incident," saying that police presence during federal immigration actions has ratcheted up fear among residents. Russell Howdagi, a staff attorney with the San Bernardino Community Service Center, said his office provided pro bono representation for a clinic worker arrested in a recent clinic incident and urged the council to fund legal services for undocumented residents.
Council response and outcome: The council did not adopt the requested legal fund or order an immediate, council-directed audit during the meeting. City staff noted that several related matters (including the municipal code changes on the consent calendar) were already the subject of prior hearings; the City Manager also described a planned 132‑bed wellness campus and immediate outreach resources for unhoused residents, but did not announce any new funding dedicated to a legal defense fund.
What advocates want next: Speakers asked the council to translate immigrant resources on the city website into Spanish, post outreach materials across the city and publicly commit to steps they said would protect immigrant residents. "Ontario is strong because of its immigrant families," Tina Silva said. "We must not leave them behind in their time of need." The council did not take formal action on those requests at this meeting.
The public comment period closed before council moved to other agenda items; no vote or motion on the legal fund was recorded.
