An Immigration Customs Enforcement van was waiting at the curb in front of the Culver City Police Station on March 9, 2026 at approximately 9:40 am. When a man was released from police custody after being arrested on March 8, he was immediately taken by ICE.
Multiple eyewitnesses – some of whom had reported seeing the van less than an hour previously – saw the van waiting, and then saw the man taken.
CCPD was not notified that federal authorities intended to take this action.
While ICE has been a frequent presence in Culver City for many months, the municipal policies of non-cooperation that have been in place since 2017 have also recently been reinforced by the city council. The department states that they are fully compliant with the local ordinance.
The Culver City Police Department sent out a statement in regard to the circumstances. “On March 8, 2026, CCPD officers arrested an individual following a traffic collision investigation in which the driver was found to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs and in possession of controlled substances and an illegal weapon. The individual was booked at the Culver City Police Department Jail in accordance with standard procedures. On March 9, the individual was released on a promise-to-appear citation, as required by law. After being escorted off police department property, federal officers detained the individual near the front of the police station.”
When asked about the presence of the van prior to the man being released, a city official commented that there is automatic federal data collection “any time there is an arrest made of an individual whose immigration status is in question.”
According to the CCPD, “When an individual is booked into a jail in California, their fingerprints are submitted and processed through the California Department of Justice (DOJ).” This information is then resourced by federal agencies through ongoing data collection.
From the police department statement, “Culver City Police personnel were not notified in advance that federal authorities intended to take this action, and CCPD officers did not assist with or participate in the detention.”
The Culver City Police stand by their statement. That there is a federal structure in place that collects information on the immigration status of anyone arrested may not be widely known.
Judith Martin-Straw
