San Antonio City Council Special Session on SAPD-ICE Cooperation - January 22, 2026
San Antonio City Council Special Session on SAPD-ICE Cooperation - January 22, 2026
The San Antonio City Council held a special session on January 22, 2026, from 1:09 p.m. to 8:23 p.m., to discuss the city's legal obligations and policies regarding cooperation between the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and federal immigration enforcement agencies, particularly ICE. The meeting included a staff presentation, over 60 public comments, and council deliberation. No formal votes were taken, but multiple directives for follow-up actions were issued.
Presentation and Staff Report
- City Attorney Andy presented the legal framework, primarily Texas Senate Bill 4 (2017), which requires SAPD to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, prohibits policies that interfere, and allows officers to inquire about immigration status. SB4 (2023) was also discussed but remains partially enjoined.
- Chief McManus and Deputy City Manager Maria Villa Gomez detailed SAPD's involvement in 18 multi-jurisdictional task forces focused on serious crimes (e.g., narcotics, human trafficking), not immigration. In 2025, out of 2.1 million calls, only 66 referenced immigration, and 258 reports mentioned it. Of 51,000 arrests, ICE issued 11 detainers. ICE requested SAPD assistance only twice in 2025—both for perimeter security during planned operations.
- SAPD officers are bound by department policies even when on task forces. Administrative warrants (issued by ICE without a judicial signature) do not authorize SAPD arrests; officers are trained to distinguish them and contact ICE if encountered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Over 60 individuals and groups spoke, with the vast majority opposing cooperation with ICE. Speakers included community members, attorneys, educators, veterans, and representatives from organizations such as SA Stands, ACLU of Texas, and the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers.
- Positions against cooperation: Many speakers argued that ICE engages in unlawful activities, including warrantless entries, racial profiling, and violence (citing the killing of Renee Good and deaths in detention). They expressed fear that cooperation erodes trust in local police, discourages reporting of crimes, and harms immigrant families and students. Several called for policies to limit cooperation, such as requiring judicial warrants, providing know-your-rights notifications, and increasing transparency.
- Positions supporting cooperation: A few speakers (e.g., Commissioner Grant Moody, community members) supported cooperation, emphasizing public safety, the need to target dangerous criminals, and compliance with state and federal law. Some argued that limited cooperation prevents escalation and protects officers.
Discussion Items
- Council members asked clarifying questions about legal obligations, the nature of ICE requests, training on administrative warrants, and tracking of complaints. Chief McManus confirmed that SAPD does not enforce immigration law and does not arrest solely on administrative warrants.
- Council debated the balance between legal compliance and moral responsibility. Some members (e.g., McKee Rodriguez, Castillo, Mungia, Corps) strongly condemned ICE actions and urged limiting cooperation, citing fear in communities and the impact on school attendance and public trust. Others (e.g., White, Spears) emphasized the rule of law, the professionalism of federal agents, and the need for Congress to reform immigration laws.
- Several council members proposed actionable steps: creating a reporting system for constitutional violations, posting details of ICE operations online, requesting judicial warrants when ICE asks for assistance, exploring policies similar to Austin's Freedom City ordinance, and establishing a legal defense fund for victims of ICE raids.
Key Outcomes
- No formal resolutions or ordinances were adopted. The council directed staff to:
- Develop a mechanism for residents to report alleged civil rights violations by ICE and refer them to the appropriate federal inspector general.
- Research implementation of a policy similar to Austin's (requiring officers to inform individuals of their rights during encounters related to immigration).
- Provide a timeline for posting ICE cooperation data (requests, costs, outcomes) on the city website.
- Explore creating a fund (e.g., RFP) to support nonprofits providing legal aid to victims of ICE raids.
- Report back to council within 30 days on these items.
- The mayor emphasized continued transparency and encouraged civic engagement, noting the upcoming primary election on March 3, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Para las personas que prefieren escuchar esta junta in spanol wouldn't pass construed interpretes al fondo del Concilio de la Ciudad para receber assistencia. Okay. Good afternoon. The time is now 109 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2026, in the City of San Antonio special session is called to order. Madam Clerk, please call roll. Councilmember Corps. Councilmember Makit Rodriguez. Present. Councilmember Villagran. Councilmember Mungia. Present. Councilmember Castillo. Here. Councilmember Galvan. Present. Councilmember Alnarete Gavito. Here. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Present. Councilmember Spears. Here. Councilmember White. Mayor Jones. Here. Ma'am, we have a quorum. Okay, thank you. Madam Clerk. Before we get started, I'm gonna take the council into an executive session. I'd ask my colleagues to remain seated while I read those. Thank you. The time is now 110 p.m. on January 22nd. The City of San Antonio, City Council of the City of San Antonio will now meet in executive session to consult with the City Attorney's Office pursuant to Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code and to deliberate or discuss the following items. Economic development negotiations pursuant to Section 551.071. The time is now 137 p.m. on Thursday, January 22nd, and the San Antonio City Council will now reconvene in open session. No official action was taken in executive session. Again, my goal as mayor is to balance public trust and public safety, trying best to strike that balance while norms around us are quickly changing. As you will hear since taking office, I've been in touch with ICE and a variety of uh federal agencies to understand their activities and have worked closely with our federal delegation to that effect. Not surprisingly, we must comply and will comply with state and federal laws, and as you'll hear, that results in frankly very littly way we have as a city when it comes to federal law enforcement related activities. Today you'll hear about the city's ongoing efforts, uh many dictated by law, and we'll hear and we'll hear directly from you regarding your experiences and and your concerns. Um, Eric, over to you for a uh for a staff presentation. Thank you, Mayor. Um, so yes, uh there are three main parts of this presentation. Um and Andy uh will kick us off at the beginning, laying out the legal obligations under which uh the city and San Antonio Police Department operate related to the cooperation with uh federal agencies generally and uh for uh immigration law enforcement. The second part of the presentation will uh kind of highlight an overview of the types of interactions that the police department in general has with federal uh agencies, um, and that'll be covered by Chief McManus and uh Deputy City Manager Maria Villa Gomez, and then we'll wrap up with um to the point of the the the the session today. What are those interactions between uh the city San Antonio Police Department and those federal agencies specifically around immigration enforcement? So with that, Andy will kick us off uh to uh the presentation. Thank you, Eric.
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