Immigration, public safety and housing took center stage, and mayors championed abundance-focused reforms to lower costs and boost quality of life.

(Tampa, FL) – Today, on the third day of the U.S. Conference of Mayors 93rd Annual Meeting in Tampa, Florida, mayors celebrated local achievements, especially improved public safety, and they reiterated concerns about the approaches being taken by federal immigration enforcement officials. The Conference also awarded its 2025 Police Reform and Equitable Justice Grants to three winning cities: Cincinnati (OH), Kent (WA), and Vicksburg (MS).

Gains in Public Safety Celebrated by Mayors

Cities continue to set new records in public safety and crimefighting, which USCM President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther championed in a new video released today by the Conference. During a panel, he celebrated the “dramatic reduction in crime in cities across the country,” touting the nationwide, double-digit drop in violent crimes from last year.

Mayors credited local strategies for the successes but stressed that progress could be lost without a reliable federal partnership. Tampa (FL) Mayor Jane Castor and Fresno (CA) Mayor Jerry Dyer, former police chiefs, emphasized how federal resources and coordination remain important. “Having those relationships is incredibly essential,” said Mayor Castor, “and I hope they don’t go away and continue to be fostered.”

Federal funding is vital too, for successful programs on community-based violence prevention, explained Newark (NJ) Mayor Ras Baraka. “Money taken from that is a problem.”

Mayors Urged Recalibration on Federal Immigration Enforcement
Earlier in the day, mayors continued to express concern over the way federal immigration enforcement actions have been carried out, which they said have sparked fear, not safety. Federal agents must recalibrate, mayors said. “This is an issue of clear overreach,” said Newark (NJ) Mayor Ras Baraka. “It is so important that people in our community feel safe,” said Albany (NY) Mayor Kathy Sheehan. Otherwise, the costs are high, mayors said. Fresno (CA) Mayor Jerry Dyer detailed how central immigrant communities are to his city’s local economy, the “agriculture capital of the world.” Recent ICE raids are “affecting our economies,” said Tucson (AZ) Mayor Regina Romero.

Championing Economic Growth, Mayors Discussed Opportunities and Challenges

Led by Fort Worth (TX) Mayor Mattie Parker, mayors talked with business leaders about uncertainty and volatility in the national economy. “There’s so much conversation right now about understanding the belief around the American economy, how our future looks, and there’s some uncertainty there,” said Mayor Parker. “But I think confidently as mayors there’s so much we can do…to try to direct the right local policy.”

On boosting quality of life in cities, mayors heard from a coalition of local leaders inspired by abundance-focused policymaking and talked about strategies to reduce barriers to resolving the housing crisis. “We need to build more houses for more people,” said Boise (ID) Mayor Lauren McLean.

Mayors also touted the value of the U.S. hosting the World Cup soccer tournament with Mexico and Canada in 2026. “We’re less than one year away from the beginning of one of the largest sporting events the world will have ever seen,” said Kansas City (MO) Mayor Quinton Lucas. “It’s an economic powerhouse,” said Arlington (TX) Mayor Jim Ross.

Creating a welcoming community is necessary for a city to thrive culturally. Led by San Diego (CA) Mayor Todd Gloria, mayors shared their work to protect and uplift their LGBTQ+ community in difficult times. “Make that point,” said Tampa (FL) Mayor Jane Castor, “to say we’re going to stand with you in solidarity to show that this country is a very inclusive and welcoming country that was built upon diversity.”

The Annual Meeting concludes tomorrow with votes by the mayors on the next leaders of the Conference and the policy priorities for the year ahead.