Glendale caves to rioters, abandons 18-year ICE partnership even after providing humane detention facilities with clean accommodations and family visitation rights.
Key Takeaways
- Glendale, California terminated its 18-year contract with ICE following violent protests and riots in nearby Los Angeles, citing “divisive public perception” rather than actual policy problems.
- The city had maintained a regulated facility providing clean accommodations, medical care, family visitation, and legal counsel for immigration detainees since 2007.
- Nearby Los Angeles experienced significant violence and property damage from anti-ICE protests, with over two dozen arrests, Waymo vehicles set ablaze, and approximately 300 National Guard troops deployed to protect federal properties.
- Glendale officials insist the decision wasn’t politically motivated but focused on “public safety, local accountability and trust,” though the timing coincides directly with the violent anti-enforcement demonstrations.
- The decision follows the pattern of Democrat-run jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Glendale Terminates ICE Contract Following Violent LA Protests
Glendale, California has abruptly ended its long-standing agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after nearly two decades of cooperation. The city announced the termination of its contract with the Department of Homeland Security that allowed the local police department to temporarily house immigration detainees. This decision comes in the immediate aftermath of large-scale protests and riots in neighboring Los Angeles, where demonstrators violently opposed ICE enforcement operations in Hispanic neighborhoods. The timing clearly suggests the decision was influenced by the unrest rather than any substantive issues with the contract itself.
In a statement that appeared designed to placate protesters rather than enforce immigration law, city officials claimed the decision wasn’t politically motivated. “Despite the transparency and safeguards the city has upheld, the city recognizes that public perception of the ICE contract — no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good — has become divisive,” said Glendale city officials in their statement. “And while opinions on this issue may vary — the decision to terminate this contract is not politically driven. It is rooted in what this city stands for — public safety, local accountability and trust.”
Violent Protests Force City’s Hand
The decision to end the ICE agreement follows several days of escalating violence in Los Angeles, where anti-immigration enforcement protesters clashed with police, vandalized businesses, and caused widespread property damage. More than two dozen people were arrested by various law enforcement agencies as protesters blocked highways, set Waymo autonomous vehicles on fire, and engaged in looting. The situation became so dire that approximately 300 National Guard troops were deployed to protect federal properties throughout Los Angeles. This pattern of mob rule influencing policy decisions raises serious concerns about law enforcement’s ability to function independently.
“Ultimately and effectively, this Glendale contract with ICE is helping the Trump administration carry out its mass deportation agenda that is racist and has abused countless people’s constitutional, civil and human rights,” said Andres Kwon, an ACLU representative, revealing the political nature of opposition to the contract.
In response to the violence, President Trump had ordered authorities to “take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles,” recognizing the serious threat posed by these coordinated anti-enforcement demonstrations. California Governor Gavin Newsom opposed federal assistance, characteristically claiming, “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty – inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.” This statement ignores the reality that the riots began before any federal response was initiated.
A Humane Facility Abandoned
Perhaps most telling is what’s being lost in Glendale’s decision to terminate the ICE contract. For 18 years, the city provided what officials described as a regulated facility with clean accommodations, medical care, family visitation rights, and legal counsel access for detainees. Since January alone, 82 ICE detainees were held in Glendale’s jail for short periods. The city has consistently emphasized that it did not participate in immigration enforcement operations but merely provided temporary housing that met humanitarian standards for those already detained by federal authorities.
“The Glendale Police Department does not enforce immigration laws and remains fully compliant with SB 54,” stated the Glendale Police Department, referring to California’s sanctuary state law. “Our focus remains in serving Glendale residents and businesses while preserving it as one of the safest cities in the nation.”
With Glendale’s facility no longer available, detainees will likely be transferred to potentially less accommodating facilities, farther from family members and legal representation. This capitulation to mob pressure not only undermines the rule of law but may actually result in worse conditions for the very people protesters claim to be concerned about. When political posturing takes precedence over practical solutions, it’s often those at the center of the controversy who suffer the most severe consequences.
