U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signs posted in West Hollywood are causing major concerns for the community. Tracey Leong reports for NBC4 at 11 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2025.
Fake U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) signs posted in West Hollywood are causing major concerns for the community.
The mayor of West Hollywood told NBC4 the signs appear meant to intimidate their community. He said the signs are not what their city stands for and wants people to know this behavior is not going to be tolerated.
The signs were posted along Santa Monica Boulevard in the Rainbow District.
"It's very wrong. Especially in the city of West Hollywood. I mean, West Hollywood, it protects everybody. If you're a gay, straight, immigrant, or anything," said Michael Reyes, a West Hollywood resident.
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The flyers were first spotted Friday and immediately taken down by the city’s code enforcement.
"It does appear that they were fake or, you know, home-printed signs, maybe duct-taped up by somebody themselves. It's not ICE coming to our community and posting notices, but it is somebody trying to send a message, and that message is unwelcome here," said West Hollywood mayor, Chelsea Byers.
Byers was frustrated to see this level of intimidation circulating in the city, especially at time when there are serious concerns for the immigrant community with President Donald Trump’s executive orders on mass deportations and federal law enforcement agents preparing for a large-scale immigration enforcement in the coming weeks.
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“West Hollywood is an inclusive community. We are a welcoming community. We are a sanctuary city. So to see this sort of vigilante message out being posted this way, it is not reflective of who we are as a city," said Byers.
Byers understands how many people may be scared right now and wants them to know the city is there to provide support and resources. She also sent a message to the people responsible for posting the signs.
“If this was a joke, if this was something that was meant to sort of poke fun at what's happening right now, it's very serious for people whose real lives feel a threat. They feel like their families are going to be broken up, their communities are going to be broken up, and the City of West Hollywood does not stand for that”, said Byers.
The city of West Hollywood is launching a “Know Your Rights Campaign” in the coming days to inform their community on how to interact with immigration officials.
