The Pasadena Police Department has yet to hear back from federal authorities over a question its chief sent back in June, amid the beginnings of a massive federal immigration crackdown.
Faced with community concern over sudden apprehensions of people by armed and masked agents, Police Chief Gene Harris asked if he could just get a heads-up when a raid had happened.
He’s still waiting.
But in the meantime, local law enforcement is trying to make clear its policy on the raids.
As U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents continue to raid communities across the Greater Los Angeles area, Pasadena Police last week presented its policies on immigration to the city’s Community Police Oversight Commission.
The commission meets once a month and is made up of 11 commissioners nominated by city councilmembers and community-based organizations.
“I think it’s important for the public to know what the department’s limitations are in protecting them or not protecting them from state sanctioned violence, so I really appreciate the department being able to come here and clarify that for the community,” Commissioner Raúl Ibáñez said.
Deputy Chief Art Chute presented to the commission during the Aug. 14 meeting held at City Hall.
He walked through the department’s policy, which calls for equal enforcement of the law regardless of immigration status, avoiding contact solely based on immigration status and promoting trust.
Chute reiterated throughout that the department does not enforce immigration laws. Chute said exceptions are made in cases of national security, terrorism, transnational criminal activity and valid federal criminal warrants.
In addition, officers can not arrest or detain someone solely for civil immigration violations.
“We don’t want somebody to have been a victim and/or to be a witness to be worried about contacting the police if they’ve been a victim of a crime or talking to the police if they’ve been a witness to a crime,” Chute said.
Chute said in the hypothetical scenario where ICE informed Pasadena Police that it would be conducting enforcement and asked the department for help, he said PPD would decline.
“We’ve been asked to have some of their vehicles at our facilities, which we’ve denied even to that point where we’re not even willing to let them use our facilities for parking vehicles or staging areas,” Chute said. “They’re on their own as far as that goes.”
However, Chute said the department would respond to provide traffic or crowd control and emergency assistance if necessary once an enforcement operation has started.
During the booking process, an individual’s fingerprints are automatically sent to federal law enforcement, Chute said. However, Pasadena Police will not hold a person if ICE requests them to, meaning a person will be booked and released as normal, regardless of their immigration status.
Chute shared a statement from Chief Harris that said, to date, no criminal activity or abductions have taken place by people posing as ICE agents.
Harris also sent a letter to the director of ICE asking that Pasadena Police be informed when ICE had conducted a raid in its jurisdiction, but has not received a reply to that request.
In June, Pasadena became part of the national immigration story when an ICE raid at a bus stop outside Winchell’s Donuts at Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue, led to a federal lawsuit.
Pasadena Police responded to the location later that morning and took statements from residents who arrived at the location and said that an ICE agent pulled a gun on a member of the public.
Ten days later police responded to confirm another ICE raid this time at Del Mar Boulevard and Catalina Avenue where a woman was taken by federal agents.
Trump administration officials say the raids are essential to their goal of mass deporting millions of immigrants they say are in the country illegally, many of whom are hardened criminals — “the worst of the worst.”
They tout success in the national crackdown. But the raids have also led to serious public safety and civil liberties concerns, like the incident outside Winchell’s. That led to a federal lawsuit, which culminated in a freeze on “roving” patrols of agents who stopped people without reasonable suspicion and solely on factors such their language or where they were.
Chute last week closed with a final reiteration from Harris’ statement that Pasadena Police will never inquire about a person’s immigration status as it is not relevant to the department’s mission.
Commissioners praised the department for its policy and being transparent to the public about its role.
Commissioner Selina Ho asked Chute if the department saying it does not participate in any ICE activity could be seen as in conflict with the policy of the department to assist federal agents if they are in danger.
“I’m confident that if chief were here to speak for himself that if a law enforcement agency, whether it be federal, municipal, county, needed assistance for their safety we would assist them,” Chute said. “So we do have an obligation to assist our law enforcement partners to make sure that they’re safe just like we have an obligation to assist anybody — we protect protesters — when people are out protesting whether we agree with it or not.”
Ibáñez asked whether the department could issue an alert to the community if it becomes aware of ICE operating in Pasadena. Chute said the department would not be able to do so.
“They’re a law enforcement agency conducting lawful business, according to the federal authorities. We wouldn’t want to be able to compromise their operation … We would be putting the agents in jeopardy,” Chute said.
Ibanez followed up by asking what residents should do to stay safe if ICE returns to take action in Pasadena.
“Cooperate,” Chute said.
Ho asked for Chute’s appraisal on the public safety impact of ICE’s actions in the community.
“I can’t give you my personal opinion,” Chute said. “For a professional opinion, I think there are concerns because if you’re not visibly, obviously dressed in a uniform with credentials that are shown so people know exactly who you are it makes it difficult … for the residents to feel safe.”