One day after the Los Angeles City Council called on officers to join residents in documenting federal immigration enforcement in the Harbor Area, Port Police Chief Thomas Gazsi said Thursday no such activity has occurred on property owned by the San Pedro Port Complex.
On June 6, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations began in Southern California. While ICE agents have used federal property — a Coast Guard base located on Terminal Island — as a staging area, Gazsi said no immigration enforcement has occurred on port properties or its public areas.
“I’ve got great confidence in our men and women on a daily basis to observe these activities and report these through my office in the event something like that were to occur,” Gazsi said. “No port properties, facilities, equipment or any other conditions in the Port of Los Angeles have been used in these endeavors in any way.”
While the report was good news to the Harbor Commission, board members raised concerns regarding two interactions between ICE agents and residents involved in monitoring ICE activity in the Harbor Area.
ICE detained Amanda Trebach, a Los Angeles nurse and member of the Harbor Area Peace Patrol, in early August on allegations that she assaulted a federal vehicle.
Peace Patrol members said the allegation was false and alleged that Trebach was targeted for her political activism.
Customs and Border Protection contended in a statement that Trebach jumped in front of moving vehicles and caused the drivers to swerve out of the way. The agency said she blocked and impeded CBP from completing its duties, resulting in her arrest.
In a more recent interaction, ICE agents were heard in a video recording mocking residents, and said they were on their way to “kidnap” people.
“I’m sure you’re aware that there was a video of some inappropriate activities by some of these federal agencies that completely demean and disrespect the community, and I know that came up in council, in the City Council meeting,” Commissioner Lee Williams said. “Do you know if you have been able to communicate with them or pass on video, and communicate with them in terms of how appropriate that was?”
Gazsi responded the Port Police verified that “none of our personnel were involved.” He also forwarded those incidents and community concerns to the Department of Homeland Security as complaints.
Commissioner John Perez asked Gazsi if the officers could do more to ensure the safety of residents who are protesting, and to protect the constitutional rights of others.
Gazsi noted that officers can stop a vehicle if they observe it has certain issues such as with the license plate. Once they confirm these individuals are federal agents, they are let go. The port police are limited in their actions related to federal agencies, he said.
Gazsi reiterated that in the event of immigration enforcement activities, if they are on port property, port officers are dispatched along with a supervisor.
“We have protocols in place that have existed since the 1970s related to pure immigration enforcement activities, which we don’t support or participate in,” Gazsi said.
Commissioner Edward Renwick urged Gazsi to consider further policies or actions to make it “harder for injustice to occur,” while ensuring the safety of officers and residents.
On Wednesday, the City Council approved a motion from Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents the Harbor Area. The measure called for a report from port officials about their protocols related to ICE operations and ways to enhance communication regarding such activity.
McOsker amended the motion with approval from his colleagues to request port police to “participate with my office and with community members who witness (immigration enforcement) to submit evidence to the district, to Los Angeles Police Department and to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to show proof and bring charges of criminal threat.”
The federal government has said their immigration crackdown is aimed at undocumented and criminal immigrants, while the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have denied allegations of racial profiling or random enforcement.
In July, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the government from stopping individuals in violation of the Fourth Amendment and requiring the government to provide detained individuals with access to counsel.
The federal government appealed the ruling, but a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to put a stay on the ruling.