CITY OF HAWAIIAN GARDENS
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item #C1
DATE: October 8, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Ernesto Marquez, City Manager
BY: Steve Gomez, Public Safety Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation to discuss and provide staff direction on potential assistance the City of Hawaiian Gardens can provide to the community in the event of a raid conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) Unit.
SUMMARY
This item was placed on the agenda by the direction of Councilmember Roa. The purpose of the discussion is to identify potential assistance the city can provide to the community in the event of a raid conducted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) unit.
Over the past few months both I.C.E. and the National Guard have been seeing in our city on multiple occasions. Wednesday, September 24, 2025, was the first time they conduct an operation within the city, and it took place at the Car Wash across from the Gardens Casino. Prior to this new Administrations directive I.C.E. had only conducted targeted search warrants to individual homes where they were looking for specific individuals. I.C.E. has never provided the city with notice of intent to come in and conduct an operation like they did on September 24, 2025.
The city has been working behind the scenes to ensure we have the necessary resources available to share with our immigrant community members. A resource guide was created, along with a flyer, listing valuable resources. We have this information on our city web page and have also used social media to post with much of the same information.
Since June 2025 the city has posted several times regarding the I.C.E. situation. There have been over 208,000 views on our social media platforms.
In addition, we have worked closely with the ABC Unified School District, to assure that proper communication is intact and that all students are as safe as possible.
The District strictly adheres to federal, state, and local laws governing immigration enforcement at schools. They also follow Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 5145.13, which states: “The Board is committed to the success of all students and Agenda Item #C1
October 8, 2025
believes that every school site should be a safe and welcoming place for all students and their families, irrespective of their citizenship or immigration status.” In addition, the District complies with two recently enacted state laws:
• AB 49 – Prohibits law enforcement agents carrying out immigration actions from accessing school campuses or student records without a signed judicial warrant or order.
• SB 98 – Requires schools to notify families, staff, and appropriate community members whenever immigration officers are present at a school site.
Other key laws and regulations further affirm students’ rights to education regardless of immigration status:
• Plyler v. Doe (1982) – The U.S. Supreme Court held that all children have the right to a free public education, regardless of immigration status. • California Education Code §§ 220, 234 et seq. – Guarantees every student in California the right to attend public school free from discrimination, harassment, violence, intimidation, and bullying.
• AB 699 (2017) – Directs schools not to collect information about families’ immigration status unless required by law and requires districts to adopt policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement at school sites (as reflected in ABCUSD’s Board Policy 5145.13).
This year, the District has been in regular communication with families, sharing messages of support along with resources and information. They have also conducted family outreach through the Migrant Education Program Parent Liaisons and provided notifications about upcoming workshops. In response to immigration enforcement activities, they also added bus routes to schools to ensure that students had safe transportation to and from school. They have also developed a dedicated webpage with helpful resources, and on October 1, 2025, hosted a Know Your Rights Immigration Parent Workshop at Furgeson Elementary School in partnership with the ABC Federation of Teachers Retiree Chapter and El Rescate Legal Services.
FISCAL IMPACT
None at this time.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve Recommendation.
ATTACHMENTS
None.