Border Patrol in Our Backyard: Sacramento Talks About ICE

The Sacramento area has been buzzing since masked Border Patrol agents swept the Florin Road Home Depot on July 17, arresting at least nine people and macing a bystander who tried to film the scene. Whatever you thought when you saw that headline—outrage, relief, confusion—this is your chance to talk about this incident and ICE in general. Crossing Party Lines is bringing together regular people of all political stripes to ask: What should interior immigration enforcement look like in our city?

Roughly one in five Sacramento-County residents is foreign-born, and the region is home to the nation’s largest Afghan refugee community—30-40 thousand people who arrived after supporting U.S. forces abroad. Add California’s sanctuary law, which bars local deputies from partnering with ICE, and you have a live tug-of-war between state values and federal power that few other places experience so intensely. Come share your views in a setting designed for exploring this important topic by listening to what your neighbors have to say. Questions we may explore include:

• Which government institution—federal, state, or local—do you trust most to make fair decisions on immigration, and what life events inform that trust or mistrust?
• Even if you think ICE is necessary, is there a tactic you’d personally forbid (for example, early-morning home raids, long-term detention without bond)? What value or experience draws that line for you?
• Can you share a brief moment—personal or news-related—that most shaped how you think about immigration enforcement?
• Picture Sacramento in ten years with immigration disputes largely resolved. What’s different on the ground, and which core value got us there?
• Many people assume schools, churches, or hospitals should be off-limits to immigration enforcement. What makes a space feel sacred or protected to you—and how did that belief take root?

Expect a moderated conversation, posters with tips for keeping the conversation civil and respectful, and plenty of room for personal stories. Whether you’re ready to defend ICE, call for its overhaul, or just learn more, your voice matters. RSVP now and help Sacramento model the kind of civic dialogue the country sorely needs.