A councillor has said a Green-led authority in London will take a "careful look" at how it shares information with immigration enforcement officials because legal raids can divide the community.
Former local Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley, Lambeth Council's cabinet member for safer, thriving neighbourhoods, posted a video of himself in front of a wall defaced with graffiti stating "all migrants welcome".
Cllr Bartley, wearing jeans and a black shirt, told viewers: "Lambeth is home to people from every corner of the world.
"Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths and we want all residents to feel safe, valued and able to engage with public services without fear."
He added that raids by immigration officials, which would only be carried out where there was a suspicion someone was in the UK illegally, were "causing fear and dividing Lambeth’s communities".
Cllr Bartley, who was posting at the start of Refugee Week which began on June 15, then seemed to imply the council may not be sharing all information on residents with immigration officials.
"They fear the knock on the door from immigration enforcement, they fear they can't turn to the council for help when they might be in exploitative circumstances because perhaps the council is actually cooperating with council enforcement," he said.
"As Refugee Week begins, it is right that we take a careful and transparent look at how information is shared in relation to immigration enforcement activity."
From July 2024 to end of December 2025 there were more than 12,300 arrests nationally by immigration officials working for the Home Office. London, the West Midlands and the South West were the areas with the higest arrest numbers.
Lambeth is run by a minority Green Party administration after the party won 27 seats in the local elections in May.
Cllr Bartley said he was "proud to represent a borough that believes in diversity, equity and inclusion".
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said impeding the work immigration enforcement does was dangerous and warned the Green Party stood for open borders.
He told the Mail: "This is yet another extreme, dangerous immigration policy from the Green Party.
"Immigration officers do a vital job tracking down anyone who has come here illegally.
"Stopping them from doing their duty sends a signal to human traffickers everywhere that Britain is a soft touch.
"The only thing the Greens stand for is open borders at all costs."
