City of West Hollywood Official City Statement: City of West Hollywood Condemns the Use of Deadly Force in Federal Immigration Operations

The City of West Hollywood condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent use of deadly force by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has resulted in the tragic deaths of Renee Nicole Macklin Good and Alex Jeffrey Pretti.

Our community joins with communities across the nation in expressing profound grief and outrage over the loss of these two U.S. citizens whose lives were cut short during federal immigration operations. These deaths are not isolated or accidental tragedies, they are part of a disturbing pattern of hostile federal actions that tear families apart, destabilize communities, erode public trust, and place immigrant communities, and those who stand alongside them, at grave risk. Such actions foster fear, escalate violence, and endanger civilians, including people who are peacefully assembling and documenting events.

What has unfolded in Minneapolis over the past several days is deeply alarming and stands in direct contradiction to our nation's most fundamental values of justice, equality, due process, and respect for decency and human rights. The City of West Hollywood reaffirms, clearly and without hesitation, that immigrants are not threats. They are essential members of our communities and vital contributors to the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our nation.

Many people in our community have asked what the City of West Hollywood is doing in response. As a local government, the City is working to take consistent and meaningful action in several specific areas, including:

Direct Services - Through its Human Services and Rent Stabilization Department, the City of West Hollywood provides direct services to members of immigrant communities, including connections to legal assistance, rental support, food resources, crisis intervention, and referrals. The City is promoting the availability of these services through its multilingual You Are Not Alone campaign in English, Spanish, and Russian, displayed throughout the West Hollywood community. Community members are encouraged to contact the City's Human Services Division at (323) 848-6510 for support.

Education and Awareness - The City of West Hollywood strongly encourages immigrant community members to stay informed. The City is distributing Know Your Rights information in English, Spanish, and Russian, and is directing residents and community members to the City's regularly updated webpage at www.weho.org/knowyourrights. The City also shares up-to-date resources from the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs at https://oia.lacounty.gov. Clear and accurate Know Your Rights information helps individuals and families understand legal protections and options, and empowers them to protect themselves, particularly during encounters with immigration enforcement. The City has also co-hosted workshops for workers and businesses to strengthen awareness of legal rights related to immigration actions.

Legal Action - Since the beginning of 2025, the City of West Hollywood has actively exercised its legal voice by submitting amicus briefs and joining litigation to defend constitutional rights, protect vulnerable community members, and uphold principles of equity, public safety, and local autonomy. The City has supported legal challenges to attacks on birthright citizenship and the termination of humanitarian parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrant communities from Central America, the Caribbean, and beyond. The City has also advocated to protect access to essential health and safety-net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP benefits, as well as to prevent discriminatory immigration enforcement practices rooted in racial profiling. The City has taken strong positions defending state and local authority against federal overreach, including opposition to efforts that would compel local participation in immigration enforcement, threats to immigrant access to courthouses, and rollbacks of law enforcement accountability and transparency. Notably, the City has intervened as a party in Vasquez Perdomo v. Noem, challenging the constitutionality of immigration raids conducted through profiling, and has supported efforts to halt large-scale federal deployments that undermine public safety and community trust. The City is continuously exploring all legal options to protect community members. An updated list of cases where the City has provided Amicus Support to the Court and/or joined in a case is provided at www.weho.org/knowyourrights.

Community Safety - The City of West Hollywood works closely with its law enforcement partner, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, to maintain peace, uphold public safety, and protect the rights of all residents. Sheriff's deputies do not enforce civil immigration laws and do not inquire about an individual's immigration status when responding to calls for service. The Sheriff's Department is not involved in federal immigration enforcement operations.

Advocacy and Lobbying - At its last meeting, the West Hollywood City Council approved a Resolution reaffirming the City of West Hollywood's commitment to upholding the Constitution of the United States and urging Congress to challenge unconstitutional actions taken by the Trump Administration. Through its Resist initiative, the City has established a proactive framework to oppose actions that threaten the rights and well-being of vulnerable community members, including immigrants. This initiative reaffirms the City's core values of respect, inclusion, and social justice. It includes monitoring and responding to harmful federal policy proposals, empowering City leaders to advocate through public statements, letters, and legal action, and exploring additional programs and services to support residents if critical protections are weakened or eliminated. The City has taken support positions on critical legislation to require all immigration enforcement officers to display visible identification and ban non-medical facial coverings during immigration enforcement actions. The City has also sent letters to its federal representatives outlining the City's responses to ICE actions and calling on leaders to advocate for the removal of ICE, military, and federal enforcement personnel from our streets. An overview of the City's Resist initiative is provided on the City's website at www.weho.org/resist.

Together, these efforts reflect the City of West Hollywood's unwavering commitment to upholding human rights, advancing equity, and fostering an inclusive community. We will continue to take action, speak out, and demand accountability.