City of San Gabriel pulls out of agreement with ICE

Advocates celebrate after the San Gabriel City Council voted to stop cooperating with ICE.

ASAM NEWS
THE SAN GABRIEL City Council near Los Angeles has voted to pull out of its agreement to cooperate with Immigration and Custom Enforcement.
The council voted 3-2 Wednesday (Feb. 7) to end the city’s police department’s cooperation with ICE, reported the Pasadena Star News.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Los Angeles, said the vote came after 100 people signed up to speak out against the memorandum of understanding.

“We thank Council Members Pu, Liao and Menchaca who voted to rescind the agreement,” said Nicole Ochi, supervising attorney at Asian American Advancing Justice-Los Angeles (Advancing Justice-LA). “In a state and region where many cities and elected leaders are backing away from entangling with ICE, we applaud the city of San Gabriel for making the moral and humane choice to maintain the trust of its diverse immigrant population.”

Mayor Juli Costanzo and Councilman John Harrington opposed. Since the joint pact became final December 7, 23 arrests have been made.

“Beyond its specific terms, having this agreement paints San Gabriel as a place that’s unsafe for and unwelcoming to immigrants,” said Councilman Jason Pu. “That’s sad because that could not be farther from truth.”

San Gabriel is 61 percent Asian.

_________________________________________________________________________________