FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2026
Contact: [email protected]
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — On behalf of immigration reporter Kate Morrissey, the First Amendment Coalition, with attorneys Gregory Pleasants and Shaffy Moeel, filed a Public Records Act lawsuit against the City of San Diego to compel disclosure of records showing San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers’ roles at two federal immigration enforcement operations.
Last summer, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted two immigration operations at the Mesa Vista apartment complex and at the 47th Street Trolley station. During those operations, federal officials requested assistance from the San Diego Police Department to maintain “peace and safety” as some bystanders and residents protested the operations.
Weeks later, Morrissey requested bodyworn camera footage and 911 call logs related to both operations. The city released some records, but denied disclosure of others, including all bodyworn camera footage, claiming they are records of law enforcement investigations and therefore exempt from disclosure.
The lawsuit argues that this exemption cannot justify nondisclosure because the police department’s officers were present to keep the peace, not to investigate any alleged crimes.
“What happened at these raids demands public accountability,” said Morrissey. “Body camera footage are exactly the kinds of records that allow the public and journalists to see what actually happened on the ground, not just what officials choose to tell us. The San Diego Police Department has an obligation to release these records, and we intend to hold them to it.”
“The Public Records Act exists precisely for moments like this,” said David Loy, FAC’s legal director. “California law limits local agency participation in immigration enforcement. Full transparency here isn’t just appropriate, it’s essential to verify compliance with the law. When agencies withhold records like these, they undermine public trust and accountability.”
“The public has a right to see for itself what role San Diego police officers play when ICE and other federal agents come to San Diego,” said Pleasants and Moeel. “Do San Diego police officers serve our communities, as their mission requires, or do they serve ICE’s agenda? Body camera footage and 911 call logs don’t lie; the public has a right to these records and to the truth.”
Morrissey v. City of San Diego was filed in San Diego Superior Court.