City of Glendale ICE Detainee Holding Contract Terminated

The City of Glendale has made the decision to formally terminate its agreement with U.S. Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house federal immigration detainees at the Glendale Police Department facility.

This is a local decision and was not made lightly. Since 2007, the City has maintained a highly regulated, locally controlled facility that is maintained to the highest standards, extending basic dignities to those temporarily held—ensuring access to clean accommodations, on-call medical care, family visitation, and legal counsel. By offering local access, detainees were given due-process proximity that is too often lacking in more remote or privately-operated detention centers.

Nevertheless, 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. 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.

Glendale is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation. That is no accident. The Glendale Police Department is trusted and supported by the residents and businesses, and in turn, our officers work every day to protect and serve with professionalism and care. At this time, it is in our best interest to not allow that trust to be undermined.

To that end, we emphasize:

• The Glendale Police Department does not enforce immigration law. That is not their role, nor will it ever be.

• We remain in full compliance with California Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), which prohibits local law enforcement from using resources for immigration enforcement.

• The Glendale Police Department has not engaged in immigration enforcement, nor will it do so moving forward.

  
  

The City Manager's decision to end this contract was made after careful evaluation of legal, operational, and community considerations. 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. Our facility offered clean, secure, climate-controlled pods with continuous access to seating areas, telephones, televisions, restrooms, showers, drinking water, and meals, as well as access to virtual and in-person visitation with loved ones — a standard not always met in other facilities.

It is also our duty to ensure that Glendale’s residents and businesses do not suffer the consequences of the unruly and unlawful behavior of others. Moving forward, the facility will continue to serve local law enforcement needs without participation in federal detention efforts.

However, not everyone supports the decision. Some Glendale residents have spoken out online, saying the public was not given a chance to weigh in before the agreement was canceled.

“We demand the agreement be reinstated,” wrote the Instagram account Armenians of Glendale, reflecting growing frustration among community members who feel the decision lacked transparency.

Glendale leaders say they remain committed to public safety, transparency, and fair treatment of all people—regardless of immigration status.