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Residents urge Monrovia to investigate ICE custody deaths and adopt sanctuary ordinance
Summary
Public commenters at Monrovia’s May 5 council meeting urged officials to investigate deaths in immigration custody, establish a memorial and adopt a sanctuary-city ordinance; the council did not take formal action during the meeting.
During the public-comment period on May 5, resident Sherry Lochner (speaker 12) urged the Monrovia City Council to pursue three steps: obtain investigatory reports into the death of Carlos Roberto Montoya Valdez, adopt an ordinance declaring Monrovia a sanctuary city, and create a permanent memorial honoring him.
Lochner told the council she and colleagues have tracked deaths connected to ICE custody and said the tally has increased from 66 to 67, citing the most recent death of “Denny Adan Gonzales, a 33 year old man from Cuba.” She described the circumstances reported in news accounts and argued the city should be proactive in defending human rights: “We will not be silent,” she said.
Another commenter read a list of 67 names that the group associates with deaths during ICE raids or in detention and asked the council to act. No council motion, action or vote on the requests occurred during the meeting; the mayor closed public comment and moved to other agenda items.
The requests were framed as public appeals rather than formal agenda items. Councilmembers acknowledged the remarks but did not take legislative steps on the sanctuary ordinance or on a memorial during the session; any formal consideration would require placement on a future agenda for staff analysis and possible ordinance drafting.
