San Diego votes to block cooperation with ICE
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond joins Faulkner Fox to discuss the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' vote on a measure barring police from working with federal immigration enforcement.
San Diego County Sheriff She says her office will not change its practices with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the county Board of Supervisors moved to further restrict that cooperation before the Trump administration takes office next year.
“The Sheriff’s Office will not change its practices based on the board’s decision and the policy approved at today’s meeting,” Sheriff Kelly Martinez’s office said in a statement. “The Board of Supervisors does not set the policy of the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff, as an independently elected official, sets the policy of the Sheriff's Office.”
The statement came after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 on a resolution to restrict ICE's cooperation with local law enforcement.
In this undated photo, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrest an illegal immigrant. (immigration and customs)
The resolution states that the County will not provide assistance or cooperation to ICE, “including by granting ICE agents access to or permitting individuals to use County facilities for investigative interviews or other purposes, or expending County time or resources to respond to ICE inquiries or Communicate with ICE regarding individuals’ incarceration status or release dates, or otherwise participate in any civil immigration enforcement activities.”
When ICE becomes aware of suspected illegal immigrants in local or state custody, it will report a detainer to law enforcement, typically requiring notification of the agency before releasing the suspected illegal immigrants and, in some cases, detaining them to ICE You can take custody of them.
ICE says this helps detain illegal immigrants without having to go into communities and keeps illegal immigrants off the streets. Sanctuary advocates say such policies discourage cooperation between law enforcement and law-abiding illegal immigrants.
Blue State County votes on 'knee-jerk' resolution to protect illegal immigrants from deportation
“When federal immigration authorities“, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol, force local law enforcement to carry out deportations, family members are separated and community trust in law enforcement and local government is destroyed.” Overview of Resolution Claims.
“Undocumented witnesses and victims or who have undocumented loved ones are afraid to come to the county for help, which includes contacting local law enforcement. This puts the public safety of all San Diegans at risk.”
Supporters of the decision say California's sanctuary law has too many loopholes and still allows agencies to notify ICE of release dates and transfer some individuals into their custody.
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It was a claim Martinez disagreed with.
Thomas Homan, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, speaks during a Department of Homeland Security news conference to announce year-end numbers for immigration enforcement, border security and homeland security on December 5, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“As San Diego County Sheriff, my first priority is protecting the safety and well-being of people everyone Our region's diverse population. “While protecting the rights of undocumented immigrants is crucial, it is equally important to ensure that victims of crimes are not overlooked or neglected in the process,” she said.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is a nonpartisan office, but Martinez identified as a Democrat personally.
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“Victims include undocumented individuals,” she said. “These vulnerable individuals express to me that their legal status is used as a weapon against them when perpetrators from their community assault them.” “We must protect the well-being of individuals, including those who are undocumented, which requires a nuanced approach that upholds the principles of justice, fairness and compassion for all individuals involved.”
This comes ahead of what is expected to be a historic mass deportation campaign by the government The incoming Trump administration. The new border czar, Tom Homan, said no one is off the table when it comes to deportations, although public safety threats will be the priority.
