City of Mountain View Addresses Local Concerns Over Potential Changes in National Immigration Enforcement
Mountain View Police Department does not ask for immigration status
Mountain View, Calif. — The City of Mountain View is reaffirming its commitment as a “Community for All” in response to concerns being raised by community members over potential changes in immigration enforcement by federal law enforcement officials in the coming year.
The Mountain View Police Department does not ask about immigration status of any crime victims, witnesses or other individuals who contact MVPD for help. MVPD does not participate in federal civil immigration sweeps and will not detain or arrest anyone on the basis of their citizenship or status under civil immigration laws. Immigration status is never a factor in MVPD’s interaction with the community.
“Our department’s priority is to support a safe community for all in Mountain View,” said Police Chief Michael Canfield. “I want all of our community members to know they have full access to their police department without fear of immigration enforcement or different treatment. Our department members won’t ask about immigration status nor do we support federal civil immigration enforcement.”
Immigration policy and enforcement is a federal government responsibility. At the city level, MVPD does not provide direct enforcement of laws not under their local jurisdiction. MVPD has interacted with federal agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security in rare instances and only when it concerned significant criminal investigations such as firearms smuggling. In addition, the California Values Act (Senate Bill 54) – which was enacted in 2018 – restricts the use of California law enforcement resources for federal immigration enforcement.
Mountain View is a diverse community with over 86,500 residents in which 42% were born outside the United States. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the city’s population is 33% Asian and 18% Hispanic or Latino.
View MVPD’s policy on immigration violations.
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