City Attorney

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Does the City of Long Beach cooperate with Immigration Enforcement?

  No.  The City does not cooperate, coordinate, or otherwise assist with immigration enforcement activities. This includes the Long Beach Police Department as well as all other City departments and all staff.

• Can the Long Beach Police Department intervene in ICE operations to protect an individual’s constitutional rights?

  There are important legal limits on what local law enforcement can do during federal immigration operations. LBPD does not lose authority simply because a person involved is a federal agent, but LBPD cannot actively impede, obstruct, or interfere with another agency’s enforcement activities.

  LBPD has authority to investigate violations of California law by anyone, including federal officers. (See 2026-DLE-07 – Investigations of Potential State Law Violations By Federal Agents or Officers.)

  As with any potential criminal matter, any decision about charges would be made by the California Attorney General, the Los Angeles County District Attorney, or other prosecuting agency after considering all the circumstances.

  If a community member believes any law enforcement officer has been involved in misconduct or taken inappropriate action, they should contact the employing law enforcement agency. If a community member wishes to file a complaint related to immigration enforcement, they should contact:

  • Department of Homeland Security, Office of Professional Responsibility at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Integrity Coordination Center (ICC):

                  o (833) 442-3677,
                  o ICEOPRIntake@ice.dhs.gov, or
                  o File a claim online

  • Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division:

                  o (202) 514-3847, or
                  o File a claim online

  Additionally, the California Attorney General has created a portal to report misconduct by Federal Agents. Any member of the public may file a report here.

  Unlike criminal matters, concerns about violations of civil rights are addressed civilly. The City cannot represent individuals in civil rights cases, but an individual who believes their rights have been violated may contact private counsel for help. Some places one may look for representation include the Long Beach Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and the ACLU.

  Finally, because the City cannot represent individuals directly, the City has made resources available for people that need representation in immigration proceedings. For more information on how to receive this assistance, please contact The Office of Equity at (562) 570-6522, or any of our three Community Connectors:
  
  

  • ÓRALE - www.orale.org - (213) 434-7799
  • Filipino Migrant Center – www.filipinomigrantcenter.org - (562) 600-0362
  • United Cambodian Community – www.ucclb.org - (562) 433-2490

• California passed a law banning masks for Federal Agents while they operate in California. Why is the City not enforcing that law?

  In 2025, the State of California passed a law (SB 627) that generally prohibits law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, with certain exceptions. Before the law could take effect on January 1, 2026, the United States filed a lawsuit challenging the law, arguing that it cannot be enforced against federal law enforcement officers, and sought a preliminary injunction preventing California from implementing the laws as they relate to Federal officers. To allow the court to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, California agreed not to enforce the law against federal agents while the case is pending. The City of Long Beach filed a brief in support of the California law and opposing the United States’ requested injunction.

  On February 9, 2026, the Court issued a preliminary injunction preventing the enforcement of the mask law as it relates to federal agents. It is likely that the order will be appealed, and the ruling on the preliminary injunction is not a final decision, so the City will continue to track the litigation.

• What steps is the City taking against Federal Agents that are using license plates in a manner that violates CA Vehicle Code section 4463?

  The registration and license plate provisions of the California Vehicle Code are preempted by federal law and so do not apply to vehicles owned by the federal government (41 C.F.R. Part 102-34, Subpart C). Accordingly, the federal government cannot be cited for violating these provisions.

• Does any federal agency (including ICE/DHS) have 'read-only,' 'pooled,' or 'automated' access to the Flock/ALPR database used by the City of Long Beach?

  Consistent with the Values Act, LBPD does not share ALPR information with any federal or out-of-state agencies and has institutionalized this policy within the Department Manual, which expressly excludes federal and out-of-state agencies (as well as private entities). (See, Long Beach Police Department Policy Manual, Sec. 6.3.7.) Access to the ALPR system is logged, and LBPD conducts reviews of the ALPR system at least quarterly to ensure the security of information and compliance with LBPD policies as well as privacy laws. (Long Beach Police Department Policy Manual, Sec. 6.3.6.)

• Residents have repeatedly pointed out that federal agents are staying in Long Beach hotels. What can the City do to prohibit or discourage hotels from accommodating federal agents?

  Hotels in Long Beach are privately owned and operated businesses. Decisions regarding hotel guests are made by hotel operators, subject to generally applicable laws. The City does not regulate which customers a hotel chooses to accommodate.

  The City could not lawfully adopt a regulation that prohibits, penalizes, or otherwise imposes special burdens on hotels for accommodating federal agencies or agents. State and local governments cannot take any action that “regulates the United States directly or discriminates against the Federal Government or those with whom it deals.” North Dakota v. United States, 495 U.S. 423, 435 (1990).

  Courts have recently applied this principle in the context of the current federal immigration enforcement efforts. For example, in litigation arising from King County, Washington’s attempt to restrict airport vendors from providing services to entities engaged in immigration detention or deportation activities, the Ninth Circuit held that the county’s action violated the Supremacy Clause because it discriminated against federal operations and those contracting with the federal government. United States v. King County, Washington (9th Cir. 2024) 122 F.4th 740, 748.

  Accordingly, the City may not prohibit or penalize hotels for accommodating federal agents acting within the scope of federal operations.

• What is the City doing to address federal immigration actions in our City and protect our community?

  Long Beach stands with its immigrant community. It is estimated that Long Beach has over 100,000 immigrants of all different backgrounds and statuses, all of whom help make Long Beach the vibrant, diverse city it is. Indiscriminate raids by the federal government based solely on how someone looks, talks or appears run counter to our values as a City. Here are some of the programs and actions the City has undertaken to support the community.

  Long Beach Values Act
  
  In January 2025, the City Council approved the strengthening of the Long Beach Values Act, adding additional funds to the Justice Fund and reaffirming our commitment to protecting our local, diverse immigrant communities. In August 2025, the City Council approved additional policy actions to further expand resources and protections under the Long Beach Values Act, including limiting law enforcement access to City-owned facilities and property, strengthening staff training and accountability, ensuring compliance among City vendors and contractors, engaging in legal advocacy in defense of community members, and establishing a new Safe Place Business Certification Program to promote know-your-rights education. On Feb. 3, 2026, the City Council also approved the drafting of a resolution calling for federal immigration accountability, including support for the impeachment or removal of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, urging an end to federal policies and enforcement operations that subject local communities to violence and harm, and further affirming the City's commitment to protecting civil rights, community trust and the dignity of all community members.

  Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Fund

  The Office of Mayor Rex Richardson, in partnership with the California Community Foundation (CCF), launched the privately funded Neighbors Supporting Neighbors Fund in August 2025, raising more than $200,000 in donations to provide direct, immediate relief to community members affected by recent immigration enforcement activity. These funds are being distributed through CCF to trusted community-based organizations to support rental assistance, food and grocery distribution, replacement of lost income and rapid response services. As of February 12, 2026, a total of $125,000 has already been disbursed, with all funds going directly to relief efforts through partners including Centro

  CHA, ÓRALE, United Cambodian Community, Latinos in Action California, Filipino Migrant Center and Puente Latino Association, ensuring resources are deployed quickly, equitably and where they are needed most.

  Defending Our Long Beach Values Plan
  
  Adopted as part of the City Council-approved Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, the Defending Our Long Beach Values Plan is a comprehensive investment of more than $5 million in available assistance, including $2.5 million of new funding entirely dedicated to supporting the needs of Long Beach’s diverse immigrant community. This includes $600,000 in one-time funds to bring the total of the Long Beach Justice Fund to $1.85 million, ensuring our community members have access to legal representation and resources; $500,000 in Los Angeles County Measure A funds for emergency and rapid response services such as rental assistance, basic needs support and mental health resources; and $150,000 to establish a Safe Place Business Certification Program and expand know-your-rights education for local businesses and workers. As part of this plan, the City has also strengthened its Long Beach Values Act by equipping City staff and contractors with resources and continued training on how to navigate potential law enforcement activities on City-owned property.

  Litigation

  In July 2025, the City joined the federal lawsuit against illegal raids by federal law enforcement that violate the U.S. Constitution. The City has also joined with other cities as amicus in other lawsuits against federal immigration activities and is actively supporting the California Attorney General, who along with a consortium of other states has filed 33 cases against the federal administration's policies and actions on issues such as termination of federal funds of libraries, schools, museums and disaster areas and illegal grant conditions seeking to compel cooperation in immigration enforcement activities.

  Staff Training

  Since September 2025, the City has been delivering specialized trainings and provided “open office hours” to help City employees and external contractors understand the Long Beach Values Act and to prepare them to respond appropriately to any law enforcement activity at City-owned facilities. The trainings cover clear, practical guidance, including who is responsible for leading interactions with law enforcement; what information should be documented; how to respond to law enforcement requests for access both with and without a warrant; how to understand the types of legal documentation law enforcement may have; how to coordinate with the City Attorney’s Office; and how to properly document interactions. To support these trainings, the City also provided staff with City

  protocols and other relevant resources to help staff navigate through potential interactions with law enforcement.

  This work is ongoing, with plans to host additional in-person trainings to ensure employees across departments, including field-based staff, are equipped with resources and information and have opportunities to ask questions, review real-world scenarios and help them feel confident carrying out these protocols in a consistent and lawful way.

  Know Your Rights Trainings

  The Economic Development & Opportunity team has actively supported and participated in know-your-rights workshops hosted by partnering organizations for the business community. These workshops train local businesses, including street vendors, on what to do if law enforcement activities take place at or near their business operations and how to verify the existence of a legitimate court order or judicial warrant. These efforts are supported by $150,000 in one-time funding adopted as part of the City Council-approved Fiscal Year 2026 Budget to establish a new Safe Place Business Certification Program and support know-your-rights trainings led by experienced community-based organizations. The funding also supports the creation of multilingual materials such as toolkits, posters, flyers and wallet cards, as well as Safe Place Certified Business decals that trained businesses can display to show they are informed of their rights and welcoming to the immigrant community. Additional workshops scheduled and will continue to be held as needed. Resources for those impacted by federal immigration activity, which the City has distributed and made available to anyone who needs them, can be found here.

  Additional Information and Resources

  We understand federal law enforcement activity raises genuine fears in our community and undermines the sense of security necessary to participate fully in public life. We remain committed to supporting our entire community, regardless of immigration status, as everyone navigates through these unprecedented times. We encourage community members to learn more about their rights and get connected to resources by visiting the City’s Immigration Information and Resources webpage.