New offices in Irvine and a rapid statewide buildup highlight limits of local sanctuary protections
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is steadily expanding its physical presence across Southern California, including the opening of a new ICE office in Irvine near a childcare agency — a move that has sparked concern among local leaders and immigrant advocates who say enforcement tactics have shifted in scale and intensity.
According to city officials and community organizations, ICE began operating out of 2020 Main Street in Irvine as early as June 2025, coinciding with a broader statewide expansion of federal immigration infrastructure. While ICE has described its operations as “targeted,” residents and local officials say the visibility — and proximity to sensitive locations — is unsettling.
The expansion reflects what Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has previously described as a changed enforcement landscape. When reaffirming L.A.’s sanctuary directive last year, Bass said, “This was necessary because the situation has changed,” pointing to what she characterized as increasingly “chaotic and unlawful” federal operations. Parriva previously reported that the mayor acknowledged local protections cannot stop ICE entirely, but are meant to set clearer boundaries between city government and federal enforcement.
That tension is now playing out across the region.
A Growing Network of Federal Facilities
Beyond Irvine, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security maintain or have expanded operations at major hubs across Los Angeles County, including the Los Angeles Field Office downtown, facilities in Santa Ana, Van Nuys, Long Beach, and the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, one of the largest detention hubs in California.
Federal data and internal records show the scale of the buildup is unprecedented. ICE more than doubled its workforce in 2025, growing to roughly 22,000 officers and agents, while detention capacity nationwide surged toward 100,000 beds. The expansion has been fueled by a massive funding increase under the federal enforcement package known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allocated $170 billion to DHS, including $45 billion for detention infrastructure.
For Latino families, the concern isn’t just enforcement — it’s uncertainty. Advocates say the growing number of offices and enforcement flights increases fear, even among mixed-status households and long-time residents.
As Bass has warned, sanctuary policies offer limits, not shields. Federal agencies retain broad authority, a reality that has left local governments scrambling to respond through transparency measures, FOIA requests, and community education.
The expansion may be quiet, but its effects are not. For many immigrant families, the question isn’t whether ICE is allowed to operate — it’s how visible, aggressive, and normalized that presence is becoming.
