On Monday, Oct. 20, the San Diego City Council unanimously passed a resolution to move forward with its Due Process and Safety Ordinance, which prevents federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement from reappropriating city resources without a judicial warrant. The City Council passed this with the aim of ensuring San Diego city resources “are not used for unauthorized or discriminatory enforcement activities.”
The ordinance reinforces residents’ constitutional rights by requiring federal agents to obtain a judicial warrant before entering city-owned or funded areas. It prohibits the use of city personnel, funds, or property to support federal actions targeting protected classes, or individuals engaging in constitutionally protected activities, and safeguards residents’ private data from being shared without a judicial warrant.
Several residents and community organizations at the meeting spoke to the council in favor of implementing the ordinance. Many urged councilmembers to vote “yes,” citing ICE operations in the city as evidence of its necessity.
“The federal government has intentionally created a climate of fear and intimidation which has traumatized our communities, making people feel less safe in their daily lives,” one San Diego resident wrote in a public comment.
Nalani Fordham, a community member who supported the measure, shared the impact of federal immigration enforcement on the San Diego community in a written comment.
“Violent raids, detentions, and harassment by federal agents and those acting on their behalf have created a pervasive sense of fear and mistrust across our communities,” she said. “For many immigrant families, even a simple drive to work, a visit to a clinic, even going for groceries now carries the weight of uncertainty.”
The City Council’s passage of this ordinance comes amid heightened federal immigration enforcement activity across California. San Diego alone has reported an over 400 percent increase in ICE arrests since the start of 2025.
District 9 officials provided a staff report to councilmembers prior to the meeting. The report cites the necessity to reinforce the constitutional protections of the First, Fourth, Fifth, 10th, and 14th amendments. These amendments place restrictions on government power, protect individual rights, and are described by Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera as being “eroded or ignored through recent federal actions.”
The report outlines specific examples wherein the city would not share the private data of residents, including attendees of “No Kings” protests, individuals seeking reproductive healthcare in the city, and construction workers on city-funded projects. This type of information will not be shared with federal workers without a judicial warrant.
City officials who introduced the measure say the ordinance will align San Diego with state laws such as the California Values Act and the TRUTH Act, both of which limit California law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement through “Sanctuary State” and “Know Your Rights” measures. The ordinance strengthens these safeguards by extending privacy and due process protections beyond state property and organizations to local institutions. It includes protections for city-funded facilities and entities such as the San Diego Police Department.
The UCSD Guardian reached out to City Council staff for comment on how the Due Process and Safety Ordinance will impact community members. As of publishing, the City Council has not responded.
The measure now moves forward to the city’s management team. It will “meet and confer” with local labor organizations for negotiations, per the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, before returning to the City Council for a final vote.
