The San Diego County sheriff has declared she will not abide by a resolution passed this week which would further tie the hands of law enforcement in immigration-related criminal matters.
On Tuesday, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to adopt new policies which effectively establish ‘super sanctuary status’ for the county.
In the resolution, Chairwoman Nora Vargas explicitly indicated that California’s established sanctuary policies are not extreme enough, citing additional steps taken by other counties to close ‘loopholes’ that enable authorities to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a limited capacity.
“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,” the resolution states.
“This loophole has allowed the transfer of some individuals to ICE and notifications to ICE of release dates, leading to the deportation of our community members and the separation of families in our region.”
Supervisor Jim Desmond (R), who cast the lone opposition vote on Tuesday, slammed the move, warning it would prohibit law enforcement from alerting ICE about illegal aliens charged or convicted of committing heinous crimes, including rape, stalking, child abuse, torture, and kidnapping.
Today’s outrageous decision to turn San Diego County into a “Super” Sanctuary County is an affront to every law-abiding citizen who values safety and justice. The Board of Supervisors’ 3-1 vote to embrace this radical policy is a direct betrayal of the people we are sworn to… pic.twitter.com/LypCR5S1GX
— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) December 10, 2024
“Today’s outrageous decision to turn San Diego County into a ‘Super’ Sanctuary County is an affront to every law-abiding citizen who values safety and justice. The Board of Supervisors’ 3-1 vote to embrace this radical policy is a direct betrayal of the people we are sworn to protect,” Supervisor Desmond stated following the vote.
“I will not stand by while our communities are made less safe. I have already been in contact with the incoming Administration and will fight relentlessly to undo this disastrous policy and ensure that illegal immigrant criminals are removed from our neighborhoods.”
San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez immediately released a statement asserting her office will ignore policies set forth in the resolution while also indicating Chairwoman Vargas and other board members were already aware of her position on the matter before they voted.
Read @SDSheriff statement on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors' vote on immigration enforcement. You can also read the full statement here: https://t.co/PSGANIABaf. pic.twitter.com/5y7I5rMeud
— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) December 11, 2024
“The Sheriff’s Office will not change its practices based on the Board resolution and policy that was passed at today’s meeting,” Martinez asserted.
“The Board of Supervisors does not set policy for the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff, as an independently elected official, sets the policy for the Sheriff’s Office. California law prohibits the Board of Supervisors from interfering with the independent, constitutionally and statutorily designated investigative functions of the Sheriff, and is clear that the Sheriff has the sole and exclusive authority to operate the county jails.”
Supervisor Desmond has been sounding the alarm about the ongoing invasion of California and San Diego County, where federal authorities dumped 155,000 illegals – approximately 125,000 of whom were single, adult males – between September of 2023 and June of 2024.