Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes faced a scandal after a hot mic left on after a tense council session on immigration broadcast their private conversation live. The two were discussing whether protesters who repeatedly disrupted the session could be banned from future meetings.
In the conversation heard on the live stream, Talamantes said, "We need to review this disruption issue, because if we want to ban someone in the future, to remove them, we have to specifically state it..." McCarty replied, "I know, but the city attorney said we can't do that." When Talamantes said, "We did it last time," McCarty shook his head and said, "We can't. I spent my first six months researching this. I wanted to tell people, like probation, you can't come..." The conversation ended when Talamantes later realized the mic was still on and turned it off.
Immigration debate halts meeting
The incident occurred after a heated session debating Sacramento's participation in the Central California Intelligence Center (CCIC), a regional intelligence hub. Talamantes argued that the city's sanctuary policies and immigrant protections made it better positioned than other regions to oversee federal funds. However, many speakers demanded the agreement be rejected, claiming the intelligence center could weaken Sacramento's sanctuary policies by facilitating information sharing with federal immigration authorities.
Police officials rejected those claims, stating that Sacramento does not share personally identifiable information for civil immigration enforcement and complies with California's sanctuary law, known as SB 54. During the debate, one speaker turned to McCarty and shouted, "Kevin, look me in the eyes. Listen to us. Listen to us properly." After Talamantes' remarks, chants erupted again in the chamber, and one person called Talamantes "a complete sellout," while others shouted "Shame on you."
McCarty issued what he called a "final warning," saying, "We will continue the deliberation, and if there are any further outbursts, we will have to ask the audience to leave the chamber." But seconds later, disruptions intensified, and city officials recessed the meeting and cleared the room.
McCarty: We were discussing existing rules
After the meeting, McCarty told Fox News Digital that the hot mic conversation was about existing meeting procedures, not new restrictions. "Every Tuesday, Vice Mayor Talamantes and I are responsible for overseeing transparent, accessible, and open Council meetings," McCarty said. "Unfortunately, when meetings are repeatedly disrupted, we have to discuss existing policies and rules to ensure that Council meetings remain effective, orderly, and respectful for both attendees and Council members."
The Sacramento City Attorney's Office declined to comment on McCarty's reference to legal advice in the hot mic conversation. A statement from the office said, "The City Attorney's Office has no comment on this matter and will not be commenting."
Activists accuse of authoritarianism
The hot mic conversation drew backlash from some activists. Joshua Masias, a volunteer organizer with Sac Immigrant Committee, told the Sacramento Bee that Talamantes was trying to silence opponents, saying, "The way she uses her power is very authoritarian. It stood out to me that she was the only one trying to quiet the crowd." Leanna Hunt, one of the council's harshest critics, defended the protesters' anger, saying, "I'm fed up. It's not even a tactic; I'm just tired of being treated like we're an audience and the king is gracing us peasants with his presence today."
