Palm Springs mayor responds to ICE activity with community resources, legal guidance
Mayor Naomi Soto outlined legal protections during federal immigration enforcement, announced police assistance for property retrieval, and directed affected families to community organizations for support.
Palm Springs Mayor Naomi Soto issued a public warning Thursday about federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement activity in the city and provided residents with information about their legal rights and available community resources.
“We do have federal agents in the city currently doing detainments,” Soto said in a video statement recorded on New Year’s Day, conforming multiple reports from residents who took to social media channels to report concerns.
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The mayor announced that families who believe a member has been detained can contact the Palm Springs Police Department for assistance retrieving property and vehicles left behind.
“If you feel like a family member might have been detained, or you know someone, you can always call our police department and they can check if there is any property, any vehicles, anything that’s left behind that is the legal property of the person who was detained and their family members,” Soto said.
She went on to outline specific legal protections available to residents and businesses during federal immigration operations. For example, Soto said, federal agents cannot enter private areas of businesses without a signed judicial order containing the person of interest’s name, and cannot enter any private home without a signed judicial warrant.
The mayor also informed residents that observers have rights to document and record federal officers during detainments, though they cannot interfere with federal operations without consequences.
“These videos are helpful for rapid responders and other immigration organizations to help separated families,” Soto wrote on her Instagram page.
Soto directed families affected by detainments to organizations including Todec (https://todec.org/) and Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (https://ic4ij.org/) for assistance navigating the immigration system.
“It’s the bare minimum we can do to make sure that people are treated with dignity and respect,” Soto said.
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