ESCONDIDO (KGTV) — For the first time, Escondido city councilmembers will publicly be briefed on a contract that seemingly allows ICE agents to train at the city's firing range for weapons training.
The Escondido Police Department renewed a roughly $67,000 contract with DHS. Escondido Police say its original contract with DHS started in 2024 and was renewed by the department this January to allow ICE agents to use the firing range.
Some community leaders will rally outside City Hall tonight ahead of the council meeting, calling on councilmembers to end the agreement with DHS and reject any future contract with any of its agencies involved in immigration enforcement.
Organizers say they don't want ICE adding to an ongoing problem in the city.
"Escondido has a history of local police colluding with immigration enforcement to separate families, to do racial profiling, to do warrantless arrests, which we're all witnessing now across the country," said rally organizer Salvador G. Sarmiento.
I spoke with Escondido Mayor Dane White about the issue and he's clarifying who would be using the firing range.
"This has been very confusing, the contract does make it seem it would be ICE officers, but after speaking with the chief its HSI only. ICE going somewhere else," said White.
I reached out to the Department of Homeland Security about how the firing range would be used aside from weapons training, and they gave me a statement saying ICE will not confirm locations where our officers are training and put their lives at risk. Officers face an 8,000% increase in death threats and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them while they put their lives on the line to remove murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members and terrorists from American neighborhoods.
The meeting kicks off at 5 p.m. and it's expected to draw strong opinions on both sides. I'll have reaction from city leaders and community members tonight.
