The city of West Hollywood has voted to remove Home Depot from its list of approved vendors, a move driven by concerns that the company has cooperated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in targeting undocumented immigrants.
The liberal enclave's city council made the decision this week, prompting a potential clash with the home improvement retailer. Councilmember Chelsea Byers stated at a meeting that the company's alleged cooperation with ICE was the reason for its removal from the vendor list.
This removal means that West Hollywood can no longer automatically purchase supplies from Home Depot without undergoing a standard competitive bidding process, a privilege extended to other companies on the approved list. Prior to this decision, the city could authorize purchases up to $25,000 from Home Depot without extensive bidding.
City Manager Jackie Rocco has agreed to examine the city's relationship with Home Depot more closely, and Mayor John Heilman has directed city staff to assess the impact of the removal and propose next steps.
Home Depot has publicly denied any collaboration with ICE, stating that it instructs employees not to engage with active law enforcement operations. The company has also stated that it cannot control activities occurring in its publicly accessible parking lots, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been observed targeting day laborers.
"Because our stores and parking lots are publicly accessible, law enforcement agents do not require a warrant to enter these areas," Home Depot states on its website. "We comply with all applicable federal and local laws in every community where we do business."
Despite the company's denials, questions have been raised regarding whether Home Depot shares data with ICE, though the company refutes these claims.