Phoenix City Council Rejects Petition to Limit Police Immigration Enforcement

The Phoenix City Council overwhelmingly rejected a petition led by the social justice group Poder in Action, which sought to limit the Phoenix Police Department's role in immigration enforcement and reduce practices such as racial profiling, unnecessary arrests, and police cooperation with ICE. The petition called for ending arrest quotas, prioritizing citations over arrests for nonviolent offenses, eliminating low-level traffic stops, and banning stops for quality-of-life violations like sleeping at bus stops. Activists argued that these changes were vital to protect immigrant communities from deportation and family separations, criticizing Mayor Kate Gallego for not fulfilling her promise to prevent city assistance in mass deportation efforts under the Trump administration. City officials and the council opposed the petition, citing ongoing police reforms and concerns that the proposal could increase crime, while also highlighting legal constraints as state law prohibits sanctuary policies and mandates cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The rejection reflects the tension between community demands for immigrant protections and legal obligations faced by local law enforcement. Despite the council's decision, advocates continue to push for transparency and accountability in policing to address civil rights concerns.