The Los Angeles harbor commission expressed concerns about federal immigration activities on areas of Terminal Island during the panel’s Thursday, July 17, meeting, with the officials, who oversee the Port of L.A., requesting a further closed-session briefing later on the matter — which has come up several times this month.
During the meeting, POLA Chief of Police Tom Gazsi gave an update on the issue, which has become a focal point for Harbor Area officials because of several sightings of federal vehicles, with covered license plates, and activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the area.
While Port Police are keeping a close watch and have jurisdiction over port and private property on Terminal Island — an artificial island between the ports and cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the agency has no jurisdiction over federal property in the area, Gazsi said. Port Police officials have stressed they are not cooperating in any way with ICE and are not involved in any immigration activities.
“I thoroughly understand the frustration and angst about some of the operations that are occurring,” Gazsi said, referring to the concerns expressed by public speakers and commissioners regarding ICE operations.
But, he added, “we can’t control what the federal government is doing” on federal property.
If Port Police becomes aware of federal activity being conducted on port property, however, officers would be dispatched, Gazsi said.
“In no way are we turning a blind eye to these acts,” Gazsi said.
Federal immigration enforcement operations began in Los Angeles June 6 and have spread across the county — including, it seems, using federal land on Terminal Island as a staging area.
White House officials have previously defended ICE activity in Southern California.
“The brave men and women of ICE are under siege by deranged Democrats — but undeterred in their mission,” the White House said in a previous statement.
But Harbor Area officials have expressed concern about ICE using Terminal Island, which was once home to 3,000 first- and second-generation Japanese Americans before many were taken to internment camps during World War II.
“It is a sad, tragic irony,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said previously, “that ICE and CBP have chosen this spot as a launching pad for those illegal raids and sweeps that have terrorized communities across L.A. County.”
And on Thursday, harbor commissioners also expressed serious concerns about ICE activities and requested that a closed-session meeting be scheduled to further discuss the issue.
“It is horrible what is happening,” said Commissioner Ed Renwick, “and it’s certainly good we’re not assisting. But I wonder if we can’t be doing more.”
There has not, however, been an incident involving ICE on port property, Gazsi said in response.
“If someone calls, we would respond and an official would be dispatched,” the chief said. “That’s the direction we’ve been given. We are sensitized to this and we ware watching for it, our folks are keeping a very close eye on this.”
Commissioner John Pérez, for his part, also expressed frustration.
“I’m uncomfortable with the amount of powerlessness in this situation,” he said.
“I appreciate what your saying,” he added to Gazsi. “I think we have to be little more creative to figure out how we can find more clarity.”
On June 27, hundreds gathered in San Pedro to protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s apparent use of Terminal Island as a staging area for its operations across Los Angeles County.
The gathering, which took place at Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard along San Pedro’s waterfront, was hosted by several community groups, including Harbor Area Peace Patrols, Nikkei Progressives, and San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and Justice.
ICE is apparently was using a portion of federally owned land on Terminal Island — which houses a federal prison and a U.S. Coast Guard base — to stage their operations in the region, according to representatives from those groups.
Officials from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles — which also share portions of Terminal Island — said at the time that ICE wasn’t using any of their properties for operations, despite the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s request to L.A. to do so.
Los Angeles harbor Commissioner Lee Williams, who was not present at Monday’s meeting, at the time said that while he was confident that port police were not cooperating with ICE — he did believe federal properties are being used for immigration purposes.
President Donals Trump has publicly stated his support for ICE raids and expanded efforts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants, particularly in major cities. That has led to increased ICE activity, which has brought both support and opposition throughout the country.
“Every day, these heroes put their own lives on the line to get the worst of the worst,” the White House said in its previous statement, “criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, gangbangers, and other violent criminals — off our streets and out of our neighborhoods.”