- San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez is refusing to comply with a county policy prohibiting local law enforcement from assisting ICE in civil immigration enforcement, including deportations.
- The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to adopt a policy requiring ICE to obtain a judge's order to access county resources, claiming that such a move helps prevent unnecessary deportations.
- Republican Supervisor Jim Despond opposed the policy, citing concerns about public safety and arguing that sanctuary policies allow dangerous individuals to remain in communities.
- Martinez contended that existing California sanctuary laws already limit cooperation with ICE while ensuring public safety and community trust.
The sheriff of San Diego County has refused to comply with a new county policy limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), escalating tensions between local and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.
The move comes as California continues to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations, with San Diego emerging as a focal point in the conflict.
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to prohibit the sheriff’s department from assisting ICE in enforcing civil immigration laws, including deportations. The policy aligns San Diego with seven other California counties, including Los Angeles, the nation’s largest, which recently adopted similar measures. (Related: Los Angeles City Council unanimously approves ordinance turning L.A. into a sanctuary city.)
California law already restricts cooperation with ICE but includes exceptions for individuals convicted of certain violent crimes. The new policy in San Diego goes further by requiring ICE to obtain a judge’s order to access county resources.
Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas, a Democrat, emphasized the policy’s intent to protect families and community trust.
“We will not allow our local resources to be used for actions that separate families, harm community trust, or divert critical local resources away from addressing our most pressing challenges,” she said.
However, San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez rejected the board’s authority to dictate her department’s policies.
Martinez, who is also a registered Democrat, argued that current state law already strikes a balance between limiting cooperation with ICE, ensuring public safety and maintaining community trust.
ICE’s reliance on local law enforcement has intensified as the agency faces limited resources to carry out Trump’s mass deportation plans. The agency often relies on sheriffs to notify them of individuals in custody and temporarily hold them to allow federal officials to arrest them on immigration charges.
San Diego County, with its 3.3 million residents and proximity to the United States' border with Mexico, is a critical area for ICE's operations.
San Diego Board wanted to prevent the sheriff from turning over illegals convicted of violent crimes
The new policy in San Diego aims to close what Vargas described as a “loophole” in state law that allows sheriffs to work with ICE for individuals convicted of violent crimes.
Under the previous system, the county transferred 100 to 200 people annually to ICE. The updated policy requires ICE to obtain a judge’s order to access county resources, a move that Vargas said would protect residents from unnecessary deportations.
Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, opposed the policy, citing concerns about public safety. He referenced high-profile incidents, including the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle in San Francisco, arguing that sanctuary laws allow dangerous individuals to remain in communities.
“These tragedies are preventable, but sanctuary laws allow them to happen by allowing illegal criminals back into our communities instead of into the hands of ICE,” Desmond said.
Martinez, who has largely avoided discussing immigration policies, criticized Vargas’ characterization of state law as a “loophole.” She noted that Gov. Gavin Newsom himself has blocked efforts to further restrict cooperation with ICE, suggesting a cautious approach to immigration enforcement.
As Trump prepares to take office, California’s immigrant rights groups are pushing for broader protections. Efforts include restricting state prisons from coordinating with ICE and blocking data sharing between local law enforcement and immigration agents. San Diego’s policy shift reflects this broader movement, but the sheriff’s defiance highlights the ongoing tensions between local and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.
Watch this clip from Fox News featuring President-elect Donald Trump's incoming "border czar" Tom Homan warning sanctuary cities against opposing the administration's migrant policies.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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Republican sheriffs in Maryland and Ohio support Trump's mass deportation plan.
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