The City of Santa Barbara, in collaboration with 805 UndocuFund, hosted a town hall on Tuesday, July 15, to address growing concerns over immigration enforcement in the area and provide resources to the local immigrant community.
The event, held at the Franklin Neighborhood Center, drew an overwhelming crowd, highlighting the urgency of the issue. The center was filled to capacity, with some attendees unable to enter due to the large turnout.
Police Chief Reaffirms Commitment to Equity
At the meeting, Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon reassured attendees of the department’s commitment to treating all residents with dignity and fairness, regardless of their immigration status.
“We do not, as a matter of policy or practice, participate in civil immigration enforcement,” Gordon said. “Our officers do not inquire about immigration status, and we have no contractual relationship with ICE for enforcement within our jurisdiction.”
Gordon emphasized when federal agents operate in or near Santa Barbara, SBPD’s role if any is narrowly focused on public safety and deconfliction to avoid confusion or escalation.
She also reminded community members of their rights, stating, “You don’t have to open the door to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
However, public tension has risen following video footage of ICE agents breaking a vehicle window in Carpinteria to arrest a driver, drawing criticism of the federal agency’s enforcement tactics.
Community Speaks Out Against ICE
Numerous residents voiced concerns during the public comment period and through prior letter submissions, with the vast majority criticizing ICE’s practices as unlawful and dehumanizing.
Speakers cited the agency’s frequent use of force and pointed to Department of Homeland Security data showing that 72% of people arrested by ICE lack criminal records.
“Their tactics intimidate and destroy families,” one attendee said. “It undermines the very fabric of our community.”
Council Pledges Action
City Councilmember Oscar Gutierrez acknowledged the limitations of local government in counteracting federal immigration policies.
“The H.R. 1 budget bill signed under President Trump allocated $75 billion to enforcement and surveillance,” Gutierrez said. “Unfortunately, federal authority supersedes what we can do locally. But that doesn’t mean we can’t support our community.”
The City Council took an important step during the meeting, voting to instruct staff to explore initiatives such as:
- Declaring an emergency to address local immigration enforcement challenges.
- Allocating funding to the 805 UndocuFund to provide financial relief to undocumented families.
- Joining or supporting legal challenges to federal immigration policies.
Local Resources for Immigrant Communities
In an effort to support vulnerable residents, the city distributed a list of resources for immigrants and their families, including legal aid, financial assistance, and advocacy organizations.
The list of resources can be found here.
Santa Barbara’s town hall reflects a growing movement among cities to address immigration enforcement at a grassroots level, with leaders vowing to stand in solidarity with immigrant populations against the backdrop of increasingly aggressive federal policies.
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https://www.edhat.com/news/santa-barbara-announces-emergency-immigration-town-hall/
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Resist the fascists!
per CNN, June 11th, 68% percent of people broadly support mass deportations. Are 68% of the people fascists ?
If that statistic were true, then yes, definitely fascist bigots.
However, that statistic is false.
You don’t seem to have a clear understanding of what a ‘fascist’ is.
Um, no. Look up the definition sometime. You’ll be surprised.
Truth has become a right wing concept. You can’t say the truth or you will be considered ‘right wing’, and will be silenced.
That just must be sarcasm!
OOPS – “68% percent of people broadly support mass deportations. ”
Provide the cite to that stat.
Here, I’ll show you a different, more accurate one:
“public approval rating on immigration fell in recent weeks to 41%, the lowest since his return to the White House” — https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-approval-immigration-falls-lowest-level-his-term-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2025-07-16/
And yes, the 41% who approve of what is happening are fascists if they actually know what’s really happening and still approve of it. If they’re simply swallowing all the lies from the DHS/ICE and Trump himself, they’re just more stupid racists.
Which are you?
This number of immigrants is not the problem – but they serve as the spearhead of approximately one billion worldwide who would welcome taking immigration to the US into their own hands – the influx would destroy what we have worked hard for.
Some rubes are extremely gullible.