Mayor Todd Gloria order seeks to strengthen San Diego's polices on immigration enforcement

Teri Figueroa, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jul 25, 2025

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SAN DIEGO — Reacting to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement playing out across San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria this week issued an executive order calling for measures to support the community that include know-your-rights outreach, interagency planning for response to “disruptive” enforcement actions and requests to the federal government for data on immigration operations in the city.

The order reaffirms that San Diego police follow state law barring local law enforcement from assisting with immigration enforcement, and clarifies that when police do show up at such scenes, they are there solely for public safety reasons. Community advocates have criticized San Diego police in recent weeks for showing up at federal immigration operations, arguing that their mere presence erodes trust with migrant communities.

The order calls for the San Diego Police Department to notify Gloria’s office when its officers respond to an incident involving a federal agency conducting immigration enforcement.

“The sad reality is that we are likely to see this administration continue their cruel, excessive and aggressive tactics, and our job is to stay vigilant, informed and prepared,” Gloria said in a video statement discussing the executive order.

The order directs the city to share “know your rights” information in several languages through outreach campaigns and the city’s website.

“While cities cannot lawfully interfere with or stop federal operations, we can help ensure that everyone knows their rights and that city employees and our vendors know the same,” Gloria said in the nearly three-minute video.

The order was encouraging, said Erin Tsurumoto Grassi, associate director of Alliance San Diego, a nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants and advocates for human rights.

“It’s a good step forward, because it opens up conversation for the city to have about what the city’s role is in protecting immigrants,” Tsurumoto Grassi said.

Tsurumoto Grassi noted that the order creates a liaison between the police department and Gloria’s office specifically to keep it appraised of those occasions when police get called out to keep the peace during immigration enforcement operations.

State law, including the California Values Act, prohibits local law enforcement agencies from assisting federal agents with immigration enforcement. But sometimes angry crowds gather to protest the operations, prompting federal agencies to call police for assistance in keeping the peace.

San Diego police have responded to some operations, including one in Linda Vista earlier this month. That image of police standing between federal agents and protestors has caused confusion, but police reiterate that they are present solely for public safety.

Still, Gloria’s office said in a statement, “We expect that federal agencies operating in San Diego should not rely on SDPD officers to fill their gaps.”

The executive order calls for Gloria’s office to request documents and data from federal agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement regarding immigration enforcement operations in San Diego, including listing specific incidents and “the use of masks or impersonation tactics.”

The order also creates a joint safety plan among several city departments in case of “a disruptive federal enforcement operation at a sensitive site or public facility.” In addition, the order directs the city to work with neighboring jurisdictions to coordinate regional collaboration to immigration enforcement.

“The Mayor’s intention is to convene a roundtable with neighboring jurisdictions and their law enforcement agencies to share and coordinate messaging, protocols, and response strategies during federal immigration operations,” the Mayor’s Office said. “The goal is to prevent confusion, protect public safety, and ensure that each jurisdiction is acting in line with its own law and policies.”

San Diego police Lt. Travis Easter said police are aware that the immigration enforcement operations “can create fear and uncertainty.”

“We want to be clear: SDPD officers do not enforce immigration law and our officers don’t ask about immigration status,” he said in an email.

He also said that, in the coming weeks, the department “will work to implement the directives outlined in the Executive Order, with a continued focus on public safety, transparency, and community trust.”