After criticism, Sacramento council passes resolution to restrict ICE enforcement
Advocates have called since last year for the Sacramento City Council to pass a law to respond to the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.
On Tuesday, the City Council adopted a resolution — not a binding law — to restrict federal immigration enforcement on city-owned land. Mayor Kevin McCarty, who attended the meeting, was absent for the vote.
City Attorney Gustavo Limon Martinez said the city officials “wisely” chose a resolution because it “provides the city manager with flexibility” to implement new policies.
His comments prompted jeers and incredulous laughs. Sacramento resident Gloria Diaz reminded elected officials of their legacy.
“Many years from now, when you’re with your grandchildren, when your nieces and nephews come to you and say, ‘Grandpa, Abuelita, what did you do when the fascist government was taking over?’”
“ And what will you say?”
“‘Mija, I passed a very strong worded resolution.’”
Advocates are looking for action in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive use of federal agents against immigrants, including at immigration court hearings at the John E. Moss federal building in downtown Sacramento. The actions have drawn demonstrations across the country, and tensions further increased after nurse Alex Pretti and mother Renee Nicole Goode, both 37, were shot and killed in January by federal agents at protests in Minneapolis.
In January, the City Council passed a resolution calling for an update to its immigration platform. That move was criticized by more than 100 people at City Hall, with many saying the resolution was not strong enough. The same criticism emerged Tuesday with more than two dozen speakers who expressed disappointment.
Tuesday’s resolution directs City Manager Maraskeshia Smith to develop a policy restricting “the use of city property for purposes of civil immigration-related enforcement activities.” The resolution also directs Smith to develop a policy offering free signs to private property owners who also hope to stop “civil immigration-related enforcement activity” on their land.
In 1985, Sacramento was among the first U.S. cities to declare itself a sanctuary city, a designation that required its public safety agencies to limit collaboration with federal law enforcement. Some residents have demanded for months that the city build on that history with more action, pointing to other cities that recently adopted more stringent measures against immigration authorities.
The city of Pinole became in December the Bay Area’s first community to curtail federal immigration authorities from using city-owned property, according to the city. The city adopted an ordinance instead of a resolution.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive and the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors passed legislation, each which banned immigration enforcement on city property.
Council members said Tuesday’s vote represented just the first action on immigration and promised more soon.
“We are not trying to oversee federal agencies perform their duties,” said Councilmember Karina Talamantes during a news conference before the meeting. “We are managing our own house.”
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 6:09 PM.
