San Diego Votes to Block Cooperation with Federal Immigration Authorities
San Diego County has voted to prevent the county from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, a move that goes beyond California’s existing “sanctuary law.” The resolution comes as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, with plans to implement mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
The resolution was passed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors by a 3-1 vote. According to a report by Fox News, the measure says that the county will not provide assistance to ICE “including by giving ICE agents access to individuals or allowing them to use County facilities for investigative interviews or other purposes, expending County time or resources responding to ICE inquiries or communicating with ICE regarding individuals’ incarceration status or release dates, or otherwise participating in any civil immigration enforcement activities.”
“When federal immigration authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Border Patrol, coerce local law enforcement to carry out deportations, family members are separated and community trust in law enforcement and local government is destroyed,” an overview of the resolution stated. “Witnesses and victims who are undocumented or who have loved ones who are undocumented are afraid to come to the County for help, which includes calling local law enforcement. This puts the public safety of all San Diegans at risk.”
Board Chair Nora Vargas supported the measure, stating California’s current sanctuary laws do not go far enough.
“While the California Values Act significantly expanded protection from deportation to California residents, it fell short of protecting all residents, because it allowed agencies to still notify ICE of release dates and transfers individuals to ICE without a warrant in some circumstances,” Vargas said.
Not all supervisors supported the resolution. Supervisor Jim Desmond, the sole dissenting vote, criticized the measure as a “direct betrayal of the people we are sworn to protect.”
“This reckless measure not only goes far beyond California’s already extreme Sanctuary State laws but actively endangers our communities by shielding illegal immigrant criminals from deportation. Consider this: under this policy, law enforcement is prohibited from notifying ICE about individuals in custody, who have committed violent and heinous crimes, including: rape and stalking, assault and battery, burglary, child abuse and more,” Desmond said in a statement.
