Despite California’s sanctuary laws, the city of Glendale continues to allow federal immigration detainees to be held in its city jail — a decades-old contract now under new fire.
The Glendale Police Department is housing individuals detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, drawing criticism from immigration advocates who say the practice sidesteps SB 54, California’s 2018 sanctuary state law that restricts local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Glendale officials argue that their contract with ICE — signed in 2007 — is legally grandfathered in. The agreement allows ICE to place non-criminal immigration detainees at the Glendale City Jail, a 96-bed facility operated by local police.
The city reportedly receives $85 per detainee per day, according to the Los Angeles Times.
At least two ICE detainees were held at the jail this past week, the Times reports. One immigration attorney told the Glendale City Council her client had gone hours without food or water due to delays during transfers between detention facilities.
Advocates from the ACLU of Southern California and other legal groups say this long-standing agreement violates the spirit of sanctuary laws, offering a workaround for ICE amid overcrowded federal detention centers and a surge in arrests.
City leaders say detainees are not booked or processed by Glendale police, and that ICE simply uses the jail for temporary holding. Nonetheless, critics insist that local jails should not be used to assist in federal immigration enforcement — especially under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to ramp up arrests.
City records show Glendale received more than $6,000 from the federal government in one year under this agreement. While either party can terminate the contract with 60 days’ notice, Glendale has not announced any plans to do so.
