Residents urge Norwalk council to review gun‑retailer zoning and to adopt immigration protections

Several residents used the council’s public‑comment period on May 5 to press elected officials on public‑safety and immigration concerns.

Jack Corno told the council he is troubled by the proximity of a Turner's gun retailer to a nearby church that includes a Christian school and nursery, and cited past thefts and a recent burglary that escalated into a law‑enforcement standoff. "There is a Turner's gun retailer in our city and it is directly across the street from a church that includes a Christian school and a nursery. That proximity raises some concerns for our community," Corno said, asking whether zoning designations and any variances had been properly granted and whether the city will review land‑use placement to protect public safety.

A second speaker, identified as Andy, urged the council to adopt local ordinances that would restrict immigration‑enforcement actions on city property, praised Vice Mayor Rios for raising the subject and encouraged residents to engage ahead of November elections. Andy said the measures sought are similar to ordinances adopted by nearby cities and urged the council to make Norwalk’s stance clear.

Vice Mayor Rios had earlier told the council she would forward information from a League of California Cities session on local immigration‑enforcement practices to the city manager and colleagues and asked staff to examine what other cities have done; she described the issue as a human‑rights concern rather than a partisan one. City Manager Jesus Gomez’s earlier comments noted that local organizations have been providing on‑site immigration assistance and that no hotline inquiries had been reported in April.

What happens next: Councilmembers asked staff to research municipal options and ordinance models referenced in the public comments; no formal policy change was adopted during the meeting.