Mayor Berkley Must Pledge to Not Collaborate with ICE

July 18, 2025 | Local Issues, Press Release
Las Vegas Democratic Socialists of America

On July 11th, LVDSA Co-Chair Shaun Navarro asked Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley a simple question: will you pledge not to collaborate with ICE?

Her answer: “No.”

This answer is unacceptable when our community is living in fear.

We call on Mayor Berkley and the Las Vegas City Council to publicly commit that the city of Las Vegas:

  • will not collaborate or enter into an agreement with ICE
  • will refuse the use of city resources for ICE transfer or holds
  • will take a definitive stand to ensure Las Vegas remains safe for all residents, irrespective of their immigration status

Mayor Berkley also asserted “there is no ICE in Las Vegas”. While this is technically true, it is wildly misleading about the fact that ICE presence is growing in the valley: ICE has a detention center in Henderson, ICE activity has caused Broadacres Market in North Las Vegas to shut down, and ICE detained TikTok star Khaby Lame at Harry Reid International Airport in Clark County’s jurisdiction.

Mayor Berkley called ICE’s activity an “unfortunate situation”. But on July 1st, she also said that she supported Sheriff McMahill’s decision for LVMPD to coordinate with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. This program deputizes local law enforcement to fulfill federal immigration duties, allows LVMPD to detain undocumented people for up to two days to transfer them to ICE custody, and requires LVMPD to report conversations regarding citizenship to ICE within one hour.

While the city doesn’t control LVMPD, they work closely together and the city will be giving them over $185 million over the next year – funding a force that is working directly with ICE.

We believe that families being ripped apart is more than an “unfortunate situation”. Our community is afraid and wants to know that they will be safe and that their elected officials will not collaborate with ICE, which is why Shaun Navarro was met with applause as he asked the Mayor “When they are separating our families, what will you do?”

We invite members of the community to visit lvdsa.org/no-ice to send a letter to the Mayor and City Council with these demands and to join us in the fight to Cancel the ICE Contracts.