The Escondido City Council is set to hold what could be a contentious public session Wednesday over a contract that allowed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to train at a city-owned firing range — an arrangement that many residents and council members say they never knew existed.
The contract, signed Jan. 14 by Escondido Police Chief Ken Plunkett, charges the Department of Homeland Security $22,500 for a one-year lease of the Escondido Police Department’s 22-acre firing range at 25855 Valley Center Road. The deal runs through January 2027 and includes two one-year options to extend, bringing the total potential value to $67,500. Under the agreement, up to 200 Homeland Security Investigations special agents may use the range in groups of 20 for 20 days per year.
The open session is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Escondido City Council Chambers, 201 North Broadway. A rally and press conference organized by Escondido Indivisible is planned outside City Hall ahead of the meeting, calling on the city to cancel the contract.
Community groups, including the Sowing Seeds of Dignity Coalition, filed a public records request last week seeking information about Escondido’s communications and cooperative efforts with ICE. Coalition members expressed alarm over the contract given the region’s recent surge in immigration enforcement activity. According to the coalition, ICE arrests in the San Diego and Imperial region increased 1,500 percent between May and October 2025, and Escondido had the highest number of immigration arrests among North County cities based on June 2025 data.
For East County residents, the Escondido vote carries significance as local cities navigate questions about the appropriate relationship between municipal resources and federal immigration enforcement. Escondido borders several East County communities, and its policy decisions on immigration cooperation often signal broader regional trends.
The meeting is open to the public. Residents who wish to comment can attend in person or monitor the city’s meeting livestream.