Whittier council directs staff to draft protocol after reported ICE activity near library

Whittier City Council members on June 12 unanimously directed staff to draft a City protocol for responding to confirmed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity after council members discussed a reported ICE presence near the Whittier Library on June 10, 2026. Mayor Pro Tem Mary Ann Pacheco moved the action, and Council Member Aida Macedo seconded; the motion carried unanimously.

The motion instructs staff to prepare a protocol that, before any City action is taken, requires confirmation of ICE presence near City facilities or events and alerts to City leaders and the City Council. The protocol also calls for preparing a press release with confirmed location and time, producing talking points for officials, notifying parents and guardians of children in nearby City-sponsored activities, and implementing a shelter-in-place program if ICE enters City buildings. The directive also specifies that the City will continue to comply with Senate Bill 54 (SB 54).

Deputy City Manager Yolanda Martinez answered council questions about the sequence of events on Wednesday, June 10, and described the protocols staff used after receiving notification of ICE activity near the library, as well as registration procedures for senior and youth programming. Council members framed the motion as intended to standardize confirmation and communications procedures so the public receives verified information and so staff have operational guidance in future incidents.

The Council recorded the motion as a formal direction to staff rather than an ordinance or immediate change in policy; staff were assigned to draft the protocol and return to the Council with recommended language and operational steps. The Council called the question and the motion passed unanimously.