Half a dozen people were taken into custody by police on Friday after barricading themselves inside Mayor Todd Gloria’s office in downtown San Diego for several hours. The protesters who entered the City Administration Building around 10 a.m. called the action a “sit-in” and were demanding that San Diego stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The mayor, both in an executive order and in policy speeches, has previously stated that the city does not participate in federal immigration enforcement. San Diego Police Department Capt. Ryan Hallahan said in a news conference Friday evening that the group started chanting and banging on walls and doors, prompting some employees to contact law enforcement. Officers arrived at around 11:40 a.m. as the group started kicking doors in the lobby near the mayor’s office, insisting on speaking to Gloria, even after some of his staffers tried to speak with them, according to SDPD. Police say the protesters barricaded the doors around 2:15 p.m. “They secured the doors with things they found in the janitorial closet — sticks, furniture, anything they could pick up,” Hallahan said. “They went into the desk, the computers. We were watching it all on video.” Photos and videos obtained by NBC 7 at about 3 p.m. showed the group barricaded inside the mayor’s office on the 11th floor. The group posted notices of their intentions on the office’s glass entryway. They wanted to discuss SDPD’s directives regarding interactions with federal immigration enforcement and set new standards for how the department responds to calls related to ICE operations. Inside the office, the protesters could be heard chanting, “Hey, Todd, listen to the people.” NBC 7 spoke with one of the protesters, who said the group had emailed a list of demands to the mayor, but he had not replied, and that was their reason for the sit-in. They said they arrived at about 9:30 a.m. and requested a meeting with Gloria, but were unable to do so, and, after a few hours, began barricading themselves in the office. “We were told we were going to be able to meet with him at 9:40 this morning,” the man said. “We were given a 15-minute estimated time. We waited till 11 in the morning. Once 11 o’clock hit, we decided to practice our rights of freedom of speech, and we started to protest. We started to make a little bit of noise because we need answers. We’re here for action. We’re not here to wait.” A sign posted by the protesters who occupied San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s office on Jan. 23, 2026. Just before 5 p.m., the mayor released the following statement regarding the incident: “This morning, a group of individuals arrived at my office demanding to meet with me and staged a sit-in. What transpired later went beyond peaceful protest. “These individuals chose to raid the front desk to my office, bang on the doors in ways that intended to force entry and then barricaded the doors, creating a public safety hazard. “That conduct is unacceptable — full stop. “My staff — including my deputy chief of staff — met with this group just last week. My staff listened directly to their concerns about ICE activity and the role of local law enforcement, and those concerns were shared with me. “I have been unequivocal and public about where I stand on their issue. In my State of the City address last week, and through the executive order I signed in July, I made it clear that the San Diego Police Department does not participate in federal immigration enforcement. That policy is in writing, it is enforced, and it is exactly what these protestors are asking for. “No matter how strongly someone feels, obstructing the public’s business and intimidating city employees is not how change is made. I will not be coerced, and I will not tolerate behavior that puts hardworking city staff or the public at risk. “I understand the fear and anxiety many people are feeling right now. I share those concerns. That is precisely why I have taken action — and why San Diego’s policies are clear and lawful. “We will always protect the right to peaceful protest. But we must also protect city employees, public facilities, and the ability of residents to access essential services without fear and intimidation.” Dozens of San Diego police officers arrived on the 11th floor when the building closed to the public at 5 p.m. Officials say they announced an order to disperse to the group two or three times, and several members left, before a team went into the occupied room, which was secured with chairs against a door. Six protesters were taken into custody with little resistance, accused of trespassing and may eventually be charged with vandalism, Hallahan said. “There’s scratches on the walls, furniture. There’s small amount, it appears, of vandalism,” he said. “The concern was the computers and going on them and going on the desks. They’re still evaluating that.” Officers could be seen behind the entryway, shooting photographs of the scene, possibly gathering evidence. An NBC 7 crew saw the six people arrested get escorted out of the City Hall building and into an SDPD van. No injuries were reported. During the news conference, Hallahan said the police department is not allowed to share information with ICE, citing the state’s Senate Bill 54, known as the California Values Act, passed in 2017. It prohibits state and local collaboration with ICE except in limited circumstances for those convicted of certain crimes. “We are not ICE. We don’t have anything to do with ICE. We are law enforcement. We keep the peace,” Hallahan said. “Even if you’re federal law enforcement or a civilian, you call for us to keep the peace, we will keep the peace. That’s the biggest part we play into it. There’s nothing information that we’re giving to ICE.” The incident comes on the same day as the so-called “ICE Out for Good” protests were taking place nationwide, including in San Diego, Minneapolis and St. Paul. It appears tens of thousands of protesters massed in Minneapolis’ downtown core. One event was in San Diego’s Mira Mesa, where protesters were gathered outside the Homewood Suites, a Hilton-branded hotel. The protesters there were demanding that corporations like Hilton stop doing business with ICE. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada contributed to this report. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less