The City of Glendale, on Sunday, formally terminated its agreement with U.S. Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house federal immigration detainees at the Glendale Police Department facility.
“This is a local decision and was not made lightly,” city officials said in a statement released Sunday. Officials said public perception of the ICE contract had become “divisive” but that the decision to terminate it was not politically driven.
“The city manager’s decision to end this contract was made after careful evaluation of legal, operational, and community considerations,” officials said in a statement. “We acknowledge with regret that some families may now face greater difficulty visiting loved ones held by ICE, and that access to legal counsel may be more limited elsewhere.”
City officials emphasized that the Glendale Police Department does not enforce immigration law. Additionally, local law enforcement is prohibited from using resources for immigration enforcement.
The facility will continue to serve local law enforcement needs without participation in federal detention efforts.
