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Long Beach council approves consent-calendar contract with LexisNexis after sustained public objections
Summary
After extended public comment alleging ties between LexisNexis and federal immigration enforcement, the Long Beach City Council approved a consent-calendar contract that drew criticism for insufficient public review. Speakers urged the council to pull the item for more scrutiny; the council voted unanimously to carry the consent calendar.
The Long Beach City Council approved a consent-calendar package that included a contract with LexisNexis despite multiple public speakers urging the council to pull the item for separate consideration and closer public review.
Public commenters told the council that LexisNexis has provided tools used by federal enforcement agencies. One speaker warned, “LexisNexis helps ICE surveil and detain and deport people,” and several others said the contract’s presence on the consent calendar denied the public an opportunity for detailed discussion. Josh De Leon, who identified himself as interim director for Long Beach for a Just Economy (speaking in a personal capacity), described LexisNexis as “a for-profit data broker” and said the company aggregates consumer data that can reveal household and social relationships, which he called a tool for surveillance.
Council members proceeded to a roll-call vote after the public comment period. Because there was one remote participant, staff conducted a roll call; each district voted “Aye,” and the motion carried. The clerk announced the motion carried without a separate, on-the-record discussion of staff responses to the public’s concerns.
Speakers at the meeting urged the council to adopt a city policy that would screen contracts and investments for civil and human-rights impacts. Multiple public speakers suggested the City should clarify whether contract language limits how vendor data might be used by federal agencies. Councilmembers did not amend or remove the consent item during the meeting.
No staff presentation or written response disputing the public’s characterization of LexisNexis’s federal contracts was recorded in the meeting transcript; council members did not state that they would reopen the item for additional review. The consent calendar vote was recorded by roll call as unanimous, and the mayor declared the motion carried.
The council did not vote on a separate resolution to adopt a civil-and-human-rights screening policy during this meeting, though several speakers asked that the City adopt such a policy and some councilmembers said they would consider options in the future.
Next steps: The consent calendar passed and the contract will proceed as approved. Members of the public who requested further review did not obtain a council vote to pull or delay that specific consent item at this meeting.
