# Federal officials say California mayor’s encounter with ICE agent was ‘interference’ with immigration probe > Source: > Published: 2026-06-12 15:07:57+00:00 **Getting your** [Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...Federal immigration enforcement officials on Thursday called Whittier Mayor James Becerra’s [questioning](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/06/10/on-1-year-anniversary-of-ice-raids-agents-return-to-whittier-this-time-the-new-mayor-confronts-them/) an ICE agent outside the city library on Wednesday a “spectacle” he instigated for media attention, and accused him of interfering with a federal law enforcement investigation. “ICE Los Angeles conducted a targeted operation in Whittier, California, June 10, 2026, to apprehend a criminal illegal alien who has illegally entered the United States multiple times, a felony offense, and committed other crimes inside the U.S.,” a spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, referencing the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “ICE officers were stationed outside the Whittier Police Station as part of this official federal law enforcement action.” The statement goes on to say [Becerra ](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/04/15/macedo-declares-victory-over-dutra-in-whittiers-district-4-city-council-race/)approaching the officer made “a spectacle of their presence, conducting an impromptu media interview in front of their vehicle. The mayor’s interference with a lawful federal operation made his community less safe. His claims of standing for and respecting the rule of law are laughable, as he is clearly impeding enforcement of federal immigration statutes under Title 8 of the U.S. Code.” Brenda Castillo, president and CEO of the [National Hispanic Media Coalition](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/01/15/brief-whittier-groups-host-candidates-forum-ahead-of-april-elections/) based in Whittier, recorded the conversation and Becerra’s remarks afterward, when he said “there’s nothing more important to this country and this city than adhering to the rule of law, and that means respect for human dignity, that means respect for human rights, and that means respect for the Constitution.” The pushback from ICE officials comes ahead of a special meeting Friday that the mayor, and new Councilmembers [Aida Macedo](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/04/07/election-2026-whittier-city-council-candidate-aida-macedo-seeks-stronger-bonds-between-public-and-city-hall/) and [Vicky Santana](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/04/06/election-2026-whittier-city-council-candidate-vicky-santana-seeks-a-more-responsive-local-government/), have called at City Hall. On the agenda: receiving and filing a report on federal immigration activity with the city. The lawmakers are also expected to give further direction to city staff. Becerra said on Thursday he would hope ICE would consider “consider not having ‘targeted operations’ executed by armed agents, immediately adjacent to a public library where a lunch program was under way involving children, extended families, and library staff. “As mayor, I will do everything possible to investigate and understand ICE activities in my city and protect residents,f amilies and the Constitution of the United States which protects all residents of Whittier,” he said. Becerra, Macedo and Santana defeated longtime incumbents in a [landslide victory](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2026/04/25/whittiers-stunning-election-sweep-sends-a-signal-energized-voters-fueled-by-local-issues-poised-to-upset-status-quo/) on April 14, running in part on changing the status quo, including what many residents saw as inaction on the part of the City Council when the now year-long immigration crackdown came to the city. One [car wash](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2025/09/11/advocates-warn-la-county-area-car-wash-operators-to-be-ready-for-more-raids-decry-ice-tactics/) was raided four times in nine days, a detail Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor mentioned in her Sept. 8, 2025 dissent to a majority [ruling](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2025/09/08/supreme-court-lifts-restrictions-immigration-stops/) that allowed immigration crackdowns to continue in Los Angeles. In July 2025, after hundreds [packed](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2025/06/10/anti-ice-protesters-take-their-outrage-to-crowded-whittier-city-council-meeting/) City Council meetings demanding more be done to defend Whittier’s immigrant community, the governing body established a $130,000 emergency relief [fund](https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2025/08/13/whittier-city-council-adopts-resolution-to-help-immigrant-residents-but-critics-wanted-more/) it divided between the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce and the Interfaith Food Center. It also waived passport application fees. Neither actions stemmed the tide of support for the three candidates who eventually won election: Becerra, Macedo and Santana, who are now barely 50 days into their tenure. While municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, the three defeated officials: longtime Mayor Joe Vinatieri, and councilmembers Fernando Dutra and Octavio Martinez, are registered Republicans. Their successors are all Democrats. Becerra has said his election was less about partisan politics than Whittier residents wanting to be heard. But what is happening on the national stage cannot be ignored in Whittier, a city of about 86,000 residents that is about 67% Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal officials have said the yearlong immigration operation, part of the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, was about mass deporting “the worst of the worst: criminals who are in the country illegally, fulfilling a campaign pledge from President Donald Trump, a pledge they say has been largely successful in stopping border crossings. Compared to a year ago, the Trump administration appears to be recalibrating its hardline immigration approach, eschewing the aggressive, high-profile tactics of 2025, even as critics contend there are less checks and balances over ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), especially with the influx of $70 billion for ICE and CBP that Trump signed into law on June 10. In a statement on Thursday, the National Hispanic Media Coalition praised the Whittier community for rallying together to protect each other. It decried agents refusing to speak if they were being recorded, adding everyone has a right to record in a public space.