We, the undersigned residents and community members, urge the City of Escondido to decline to renew its agreement allowing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use Escondido Police Department training facilities.

This agreement was first entered into in or around 2013 and has reportedly been renewed year after year. At a time when DHS and its components, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have expanded cooperation and joint operations, continuing to provide local police training resources to federal agencies raises serious concerns about public trust, accountability, and the appropriate use of city facilities.

Since early 2025, DHS has coordinated actions among its agencies to support or enable ICE activities that include surveillance, arrests, and detention operations. Many of these operations have been criticized by courts, civil rights organizations, journalists, and affected communities.

There are documented reports of troubling and, in some cases, unlawful conduct by DHS and ICE officers across the country, including:

• Killing of U.S. citizens who are lawfully observing ICE operations
• Wrongful or prolonged detention of U.S. citizens, including individuals held or arrested despite clear proof of citizenship
• Excessive use of force during arrests and raids, sometimes resulting in serious injury
• Entering homes without valid warrants or consent, including early-morning raids and forced entries
• Violations of Fourth Amendment rights, such as unlawful searches and seizures
• Violations of Fifth Amendment rights, including coercive interrogations and denial of due process

These actions have led to lawsuits, judicial rebukes, financial settlements, and lasting harm to families and communities. Regardless of whether individual officers or units are involved, the pattern of aggressive and unconstitutional conduct has eroded public confidence in these agencies.

The role of the police department is to protect the residents of the City and to serve their needs. The aggressive actions of ICE agents in the past year have induced fear among the City's populace, regardless of immigration status and inhibited participation in the City's society and economy. In addition, as research has shown, aggressive immigration enforcement reduces communication with police about violent crimes and property crimes that the police exist to stop.

By continuing to allow DHS access to local police training facilities, the City risks appearing to endorse or normalize these practices. Even if the agreement is framed as “training only,” the City has discretion over whether its facilities and resources should support federal agencies whose conduct has raised serious constitutional and human rights concerns.

We are not asking the City to litigate the past. We are asking the City to make a responsible decision about the future.

We respectfully call on the City of Escondido to:

• Decline to renew the DHS training agreement at its next expiration
  Cancel the current contract if possible under its terms or the laws of the State of California
• End DHS use of Escondido Police Department training facilities
• Reaffirm that City resources will not be used to support agencies engaged in aggressive, unlawful, or unconstitutional enforcement practices

Cancelling this agreement and choosing not to renew it would be a clear statement that Escondido prioritizes public safety, civil liberties, community trust, and responsible stewardship of local public resources.