At packed meeting, over 100 urge Sacramento to strengthen immigration protections
For close to four hours Tuesday afternoon, scores of residents expressed their frustration at a resolution proposed by the Sacramento City Council, saying it does not serve as a strong defense against immigration enforcement amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation crackdown that has seen two deadly shootings by federal immigration agents take place in Minnesota.
Sacramento was among the first American cities to declare itself a sanctuary city in 1985. Tuesday’s resolution said in part that the city will uphold the rights of all its residents; uphold the rights of residents to record and otherwise document interactions with ICE officers; and protect the right to free speech around the John Moss Federal Building, where protestors have been gathering to denounce the Trump administration.
The Sacramento City Council ultimately passed the resolution, which is largely a symbolic measure with little in terms of policy teeth..
Activists hoped the council would pass Tuesday’s resolution but also sought for changes to the city’s policies to further prevent collaboration with federal immigration authorities.
“This policy update is long overdue,” yelled Ruth Ibarra, an activist with NorCal Resist, a nonprofit helping to organize protests against the Trump administration’s immigration practices. “And it’s a shame that it’s not been a priority for you all.”
The city’s resolution comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated immigration enforcement actions. On Saturday morning in Minneapolis, federal immigration agents fatally shot 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Cellphone video from the shooting touched off nationwide protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including weekend demonstrations in Sacramento. The Jan. 7 deadly shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis also resulted in mass protests.
Tuesday’s meeting turned emotional at times as residents spoke of parents who have been separated from their children, and of loved ones feeling unsafe without documents proving their legal status. Elli Boss’ hand shook as they read their public comment on their phone, tears spilling.
“Delay is a choice,” Boss said. “Silence is a choice. And in a moment like this, those choices put lives at risk. We do not need symbolic statements. We need real long-term protection established now.”
Some council members said the resolution was not enough and called for stronger policies to safeguard immigrants in Sacramento.
“People in Sacramento are living with fear,” said Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes during Tuesday’s meeting. “People are scared. People are nervous. People are nervous to call the Police Department.”
On Jan. 17, protester Scott Stauffer reported being attacked by counter-protesters while he carried an anti-ICE flag outside John Moss Federal Building. Sacramento police last week announced the arrest of a man and a woman accused in the assault. Stauffer returned to the federal building Sunday, this time to protest Pretti’s killing.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, nearly 650 people sent their public comments online in response to the City Council’s immigration enforcement resolution. More than 100 lined up to speak at the meeting. The public comment session stretched for more than three hours.
Moiz Mir, the organizing and advocacy director of the Asian American Liberation Network, said Tuesday’s resolution just affirms the city’s sanctuary status and does not move toward creating policies.
He referenced a November letter sent by activists to the City Council which called for providing free signs to landowners and lease owners who restrict enforcement; ban city-owned parking lots, garages and sidewalks for immigration enforcement; and create a free speech zone around the John Moss Federal Building.
City Council members Eric Guerra, Mai Vang and Talamantes have backed a proposal to ban immigration enforcement on city-owned properties.
Vang said the proposal, a separate resolution, has been submitted to the city clerk. It is scheduled to be heard next month in a city committee prior to going before the full council.
Mayor not at meeting
Mayor Kevin McCarty was absent from Tuesday’s council meeting because he is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., his spokesperson, Geneva Jacob, said.
Talamantes read a statement from McCarty that said “he’s supportive of his immigration platform and the proposal” by Vang, Guerra and Talamantes. He’s also working with assembly members on “stronger” Immigration Customs Enforcement policies in the state, she said.
McCarty in a written statement Monday said the situation in Minneapolis “underscores a serious gap underscores a serious gap in accountability when federal law enforcement uses deadly force without robust state oversight.”
“If a similar situation occurred in California, we must ensure that our laws give the Attorney General clear authority to pursue independent investigations even when federal officers are involved,” McCarty’s statement continued. “Strengthening these powers would help guarantee transparency, build public trust, and ensure that all uses of force are thoroughly reviewed, no matter the agency involved.”
The meeting was also observed by several police officers, including Police Chief Kathy Lester.
This story was originally published January 27, 2026 at 3:14 PM.
