When federal officials released a list of Sanctuary Cities in advance of the recent Los Angeles raids, many Santa Monicans were surprised, albeit a little relieved, that the City was left off the list. While many assumed it was yet another error on the already questionable list, Santa Moncia is not actually a Sanctuary City but the municipality has aligned its legislative and law enforcement priorities with the movement.
Prior to the Trump Administration taking office, City Hall unanimously reaffirmed its commitment to not enforcing federal immigration laws or assisting in federal immigration enforcement as the city prepared for potential policy shifts under the new federal administration.
In December 2024, the council passed a motion explicitly stating the city "will not be used to assist or facilitate federal immigration enforcement" and directing staff to prepare contingency plans if federal or state funding were tied to immigration enforcement operations.
The action reinforced Santa Monica's decade-long stance as an effective sanctuary jurisdiction, even though city officials have avoided formally adopting that specific label.
Santa Monica stopped short of officially declaring itself a "Sanctuary City" by name when it adopted key protections in 2017. At the time, city leaders pointed out that the term lacks a single legal definition and chose instead to focus on substantive protections for residents.
However, in 2017, amid federal threats to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously adopted a resolution "embracing diversity, rejecting hate and discrimination." The measure formally affirmed that Santa Monica would not use city resources or staff to investigate, detain or register individuals solely for being undocumented.
The resolution also prohibited participation in any registry or database tracking personal characteristics such as religion, national origin or immigration status.
Santa Monica’s Police Department has also maintained a clear policy of non-involvement in civil immigration enforcement that predates the current Trump era.
As early as December 2016, the department said it would leave the enforcement of immigration to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and [ICE], instead focusing local police resources on community safety.
As part of the 2017 actions, SMPD formalized and strengthened its non-cooperation posture by terminating an existing memorandum of understanding with ICE that had allowed collaboration on certain investigations. Previously, SMPD had partnered with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations arm on serious transnational crimes such as human trafficking, drug smuggling and terrorism.
However, to eliminate any conflict with the new city immigration policies, Santa Monica cancelled that agreement. City officials stated that going forward, any cooperation with federal authorities would be on strictly criminal matters that are in line with the City's immigration policies.
In a February 2025 public statement, Police Chief Ramón Batista reiterated that SMPD's "long-standing policy remains unchanged: immigration enforcement is solely the responsibility of federal law enforcement under Title 8 of the U.S. Code."
He assured residents that the department "will not participate in immigration enforcement operations," nor conduct any sweeps, raids or stops targeting individuals based on immigration status.
Santa Monica officers do not inquire about immigration status when responding to calls or conducting investigations, and do not detain people on ICE's behalf without a judicial warrant or clear legal requirement.
Politically, Santa Monica's orientation toward federal immigration policy has been one of open resistance to harsh enforcement measures and vocal support for immigrant communities.
During the first Trump administration (2017-2021), Santa Monica joined legal challenges against federal immigration policies. The city signed on to an amicus brief in County of Santa Clara v. Trump, supporting a lawsuit to block the president's executive order threatening to withhold federal funds from "sanctuary jurisdictions."
The city also took action when the Trump administration moved to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in fall 2017. Santa Monica filed an amicus brief in federal court to halt the termination of DACA, joining 25 other cities and counties.
The December 2024 resolution directed the City Attorney to monitor and join litigation as needed and instructed staff to prepare contingency plans if federal or state funding were tied to immigration enforcement.
Beyond adopting non-cooperation policies, Santa Monica has engaged in various programs and partnerships to support its immigrant residents.
Through its Human Services Division and community development programs, Santa Monica provides funding to non-profit organizations that offer legal aid to low-income residents, including help with immigration issues, citizenship and other critical needs.
The city's HUD-funded Action Plan lists immigration legal assistance alongside housing, consumer protection and anti-discrimination services as part of the legal aid provided to hundreds of local residents each year.
The city government collaborates with community organizations to ensure immigrants know their rights and feel safe in Santa Monica. Following the 2016 election, Santa Monica's leadership organized community forums and disseminated information in multiple languages to reassure immigrant residents.
The city's official website created a resource page (https://www.santamonica.gov/SafeAtHome), available in English and Spanish, compiling immigration-related information, legal resources and the text of the city's protective policies.