Yesterday morning, three women were taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at their workplace, near Bake Parkway and Toledo Way in Irvine, Calif., around 20 minutes off campus.
The Irvine Police Department (IPD) responded to a 911 call from a local business owner, but the woman had already been taken into custody.
The city is not aware of any other ICE activity in Irvine following the incident, according to a statement released Wednesday.
“Our response regarding immigration-related matters has not changed,” the statement read. “The City of Irvine continues to focus on providing exceptional services to all in our community, regardless of immigration status.”
Irvine City Councilmember Melinda Liu initially posted on her Instagram that the masked men were “posing” as ICE agents. However, Councilmember Kathleen Treseder confirmed that ICE was involved.
Liu condemned ICE’s methods and said the city and police department will offer support to families and businesses impacted by the incident.
“It is my priority to ensure the safety of everyone living and working in Irvine,” Liu wrote. “I will continue to work with the City staff and IPD to protect our residents and workers within the city boundaries.”
Liu also addressed the Irvine offices reportedly leased by ICE, saying that the city had reached the property owner and is “monitoring the situation.” A city provided an immigration resource guide, which includes a legal services program that can be found here.
Emilie Takahashi is a 2025-2026 Layout Editor. She can be reached at takahae1@uci.edu.