1 RESOLUTION NO. ________
Introduced by: Council Member Arianna Barrios, District 1 Council Member Ana Gutierrez, District 5
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF ORANGE TO PRESERVE THE PUBLIC
TRUST IN LAW ENFORCEMENT INTERACTIONS
WHEREAS, the federal government has constitutional authority to regulate immigration; and
WHEREAS, the United States Constitution contains limits on the federal governments exercise of this authority; and
WHEREAS, this Resolution is not intended to obstruct, hinder, or interfere with the legitimate exercise of federal immigration enforcement authority, but rather to enhance transparency, accountability, and public safety within the City's physical jurisdiction.
WHEREAS, the federal government, through the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has launched broad immigration enforcement efforts, deploying personnel from various federal agencies, including those within the Department of Justice, as part of the Administration's immigration enforcement operations; and WHEREAS, ICE officers have conducted operations within the City of Orange while wearing face coverings, including gaiter and ski masks; and WHEREAS, transparency and accountability in law enforcement are essential to maintaining public trust and effective community policing; and WHEREAS, the ability of the public to identify law enforcement officers during interactions promotes professionalism, accountability, and strengthens police-community relations; and
WHEREAS, face coverings and lack of visible identification pose significant risk to local law enforcement who must discern between legitimate immigration enforcement actions and the public’s reasonable fear of bounty hunters, who are not authorized federal agents, and vigilantes in our community; and
WHEREAS, several credible news organizations have reported incidents of individuals impersonating ICE or DHS agents to harass or detain others, which undermines public trust in law enforcement, especially among vulnerable populations, and poses a serious threat to public safety; and
WHEREAS, charges filed against individuals apprehended in said incidents include kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer after allegedly detaining a group of 2 Latino men, impersonating an ICE officer on a university campus, and impersonating an ICE officer in connection with the sexual assault of a woman while threatening her with deportation; and
WHEREAS, State and local jurisdictions bear primary responsibility for ensuring the safety and well-being of their communities; and
WHEREAS, in exercising their sovereign duty to promote public safety, State and local governments have adopted local laws and policies reflecting careful judgment of what policies and practices best serve their communities; and
WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has long emphasized that local control over health and safety of residents ensures that matters, concerning the lives, liberties and properties of the people are best determined by governments more local and more accountable than distant federal bureaucracy; and
WHEREAS, enshrined in the Constitution and a core part of American democracy respects the police power of the States and local governments; and WHEREAS, local governments and officials have wide discretion in determining their own policy for the safety, peace and good order of their own people; and WHEREAS, the California Constitution provides that cities possess the power to enforce all local police, sanitation and ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws; and WHEREAS, the duly elected members of the Orange City Council find that restricting Federal law enforcement officers and agents from wearing masks or disguises while interacting with the public and upholding the public’s right to request, and be shown, proper identification when approached, with limited exceptions, will enhance transparency and accountability; and NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Orange resolves as follows:
Section 1: That from this date, all Federal law enforcement officers and agents operating within the City of Orange, will be required to wear clearly visible identification.
Section 2: That Federal law enforcement agents will refrain from utilizing disguises or face coverings of any kind while operating in the City of Orange.
Section 3: Such Federal law enforcement agents shall present proper identification upon request.
3 ADOPTED this ___ day of _____ 2025.
Daniel R. Slater, Mayor, City of Orange
ATTEST:
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Wayne W. Winthers
Interim City Attorney, City of Orange
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE )
CITY OF ORANGE )
I, PAMELA COLEMAN, City Clerk of the City of Orange, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of the City of Orange at a regular meeting thereof held on the ____ day of _____ 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS:
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk, City of Orange