Mayor tells SDPD to report when police show up for ICE
In an executive order signed Wednesday morning, Mayor Todd Gloria called for updated police training as well as a city-run “Know Your Rights” campaign regarding immigration enforcement.
Written by Kate Morrissey, Edited by Lauren J. Mapp
Update: This story was updated on July 24, 2025 at 12:23 p.m. with perspective from Alliance San Diego.
Mayor Todd Gloria told the San Diego Police Department Wednesday to inform his office when its officers respond to situations involving immigration enforcement.
In an executive order, the mayor instructed the department to create a liaison with his office who will monitor and report police on the scene of federal agencies making immigration arrests. The order comes as many community advocates have criticized the department's presence at several locations where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were conducting operations.
“The city of San Diego is a proud city of immigrants, and the strength, safety, and success of our community depends on our unwavering commitment to protect the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of all residents, regardless of immigration status,” Gloria said in the order.
The San Diego Police Department said it would work to implement the mayor's directives in the coming weeks.
“The San Diego Police Department recognizes the deep concern many community members have in response to recent immigration enforcement actions taking place in our neighborhoods. We understand these events can create fear and uncertainty,” said Lt. Travis Easter, spokesperson for the department. “We want to be clear: SDPD officers do not enforce immigration law, and our officers don’t ask about immigration status. We want all of our community members to feel safe when reporting crimes or seeking help from SDPD.”
“As the federal government engages in more visible and, at times, confrontational immigration enforcement tactics, SDPD remains committed to transparency about our limited involvement in some such actions,” Easter added. “When we respond to a 9-1-1 call, whether it’s from a community member or a federal agency, our role is focused solely on ensuring safety and maintaining public order.”
Gloria's order calls for the department to have public policies that prohibit officers from engaging in, supporting, or facilitating immigration enforcement activities, as required by California law, particularly the California Values Act, also known as S.B. 54. It says the department should provide updated training to officers about these policies.
Erin Tsurumoto Grassi of Alliance San Diego called the order a good step forward.
“It helps open up the discussion about what the city can do to protect immigrants in our region,” Tsurumoto Grassi said. “It also provides an opportunity for the city to review all its policies to make sure it's better aligned with state law, including the California Values Act.”
“There's additional work to be done, but this opens up the conversation hopefully for us to be able to get there,” she added.
The mayor instructed the department to reaffirm that it does not share certain data with federal law enforcement agencies who could use the data for immigration enforcement purposes and particularly calls out the Automated License Plate Reader system.
Homayra Yusufi, deputy director at Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, said after an initial read of the order that she wanted the city to go further on the licence plate reader issue and shut down the program.
Gloria's order also calls on SDPD to lead a response team alongside the Mayor's office and other city departments, including San Diego Fire-Rescue, the Transportation Department and Office of Emergency Services to make a joint safety plan for when federal immigration officials hold a “disruptive” operation at a “sensitive site or public facility.”
It says the department should meet with community leaders to come up with further recommended actions.
Beyond instructions for the police department, Gloria's executive order also calls for the city to organize a “Know Your Rights” campaign for businesses in certain areas and in the city's public spaces including libraries and community centers. The mayor’s order came one day after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a similar measure to train business owners and employees on their rights during ICE raids.
Gloria said in the order that his office would host a roundtable of police chiefs to discuss these issues and that his staff will request records from the federal government regarding immigration enforcement operations in San Diego. He said that his office would push for prosecution of people who impersonate federal officers and for legislation to require immigration officials to identify themselves clearly.
