Davis, CA Immigration Policy: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Davis Municipal Code Article 10.06
- Adopted
- Ordinance 2686, April 7, 2026
- Applies to
- City staff, agents and contractors
- Key exception
- Court order or judicial warrant
- Oversight
- Annual report to city council
Summary
Davis bars city staff, contractors and facilities from being used to enforce federal civil immigration law. City employees cannot ask about immigration status, hold anyone for ICE, or share identifying information with immigration authorities without a judicial warrant.
No city department, agency, commission, officer, agent, representative, or employee may use city resources, including, but not limited to, equipment, tools, facilities, property, personnel, time, labor, or funds to: ... (b) Investigate, stop, detain, arrest, interrogate, hold, house, cite, or transfer any person for the purpose of immigration enforcement, including on the basis of an administrative warrant, deportation, exclusion or removal order, or other civil immigration document based solely on alleged violations of civil provisions of immigration laws, except as required by a court order or judicial warrant, as defined in California Government Code § 7284.4(i). (c) Assist, participate in, support, facilitate, or cooperate with requests by immigration authorities to stop, detain, arrest, investigate, interrogate, hold, house, or transfer any person in the custody of the city, or make any person in city custody available to immigration authorities for the purpose of immigration enforcement, unless pursuant to a court order or judicial warrant, as defined in California Government Code § 7284.4(i).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
4(i) requires it. The article also bars city staff from assisting immigration authorities' traffic enforcement or crowd control, from giving agents access to non-public city property such as holding cells or databases, and from communicating an individual's name, address, social media identifiers or other identifying details to immigration authorities absent a judicial warrant or the person's own written request. 030 extends the same restrictions to city contractors as a condition of receiving public funds. 040 directs the city manager, in consultation with stakeholders, to write policies keeping public buildings and facilities accessible regardless of citizenship status and to offer that model to Yolo County and the Davis Joint Unified School District.
050 requires any employee contacted by an immigration authority for records or facility access to notify a supervisor immediately, requires the city manager to log every such request, and requires an annual public report to the city council on the number and nature of the requests received and how the city responded, with personal identifying information withheld from that report.
Violations & Fines
The ordinance does not set a fine schedule of its own; it binds city staff and contractors rather than the public, so there is no citation a resident can receive under this article. A city employee, officer or contractor who violates the resource-use restrictions is subject to internal discipline and contract enforcement, and the annual report to the city council functions as the public accountability mechanism for compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Davis police ask about someone's immigration status?
Will Davis hold someone in custody for ICE?
Does this apply to Yolo County or the school district too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California immigration policy overview
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