Dave Min
04/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/13/2026 15:23
Rep. Dave Min Hosts Community Forum Demanding Transparency on New ICE Lease in Irvine
Washington, D.C. - Last week, Representative Dave Min (CA-47) joined local leaders, immigration advocates, and Orange County residents for a community forum demanding answers about a newly leased federal office space in Irvine that is expected to be used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The forum was convened after weeks of unanswered questions from residents, local officials, and community advocates about ICE's planned use of the office space and the potential impact of that facility on nearby neighborhoods, businesses, schools, childcare centers, and surrounding communities.
"ICE agents must respect the law. The fact that they are not here today reflects their contempt for the rule of law we have seen over and over, and we are going to continue to demand answers because ICE is not above the law, said Rep. Min. "There is a rule of law in America, and even though this administration has largely ignored it, there will be a comeuppance-that people who are violating the law will be held to account, and that includes senior officials at ICE and DHS."
Earlier this month, Rep. Min sent a formal oversight letter to ICE demanding transparency about the lease, including the mission of the facility, the legal authority for its operations, whether the site is intended to be temporary or permanent, and what safeguards will be put in place for the surrounding community. He also asked whether ICE and DHS would comply with federal law permitting Members of Congress to conduct unannounced oversight visits to the office or facility.
According to Rep. Min, the five sentence response his office received was inadequate and failed to answer several of the most basic questions raised by the community. "It did not come anywhere close to meeting the level of transparency this community deserves," said Rep. Min.
Rep. Min stressed that ICE's refusal to participate only reinforced the larger concern at the center of the forum: that federal agencies cannot expand their footprint in the middle of a community while withholding basic information from the people and local leaders who will be affected. He also emphasized that the Irvine lease is not an isolated issue, but part of a broader pattern in which ICE has eroded public trust through aggressive enforcement actions and a lack of transparency across Southern California and beyond.
Rep. Min was joined by Irvine City Councilmembers Melinda Liu and and Betty Martinez Franco, Lindsay Toczylowski-CEO Immigrant Defenders Legal Center, Ash Alvandi-Vice President of Orange County Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, Felicity Figueroa-Orange County Rapid Response Network, and Reverend Dr. Terry LePage.
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