San Diego County sheriff says her office will IGNORE county supervisors and WILL cooperate with ICE

SAN DIEGO, CA- While many Democrat lawmakers have promised to openly defy President-elect Trump’s promise to conduct mass deportations of illegal aliens, some sheriffs have doubled down on supporting Trump’s efforts, including the sheriff in San Diego County, California. Sheriff Kelly Martinez promised to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the county’s board of supervisors voted to further restrict cooperation between the county and the Trump administration after he takes office in January, Fox News Digital reports. 

“The sheriff’s office will not change its practices based on the board resolution and policy that passed at today’s meeting,” Martinez’s office said in a statement. “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.” 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution, 3-1, restricting ICE cooperation with county law enforcement agencies. 

The resolution mandates that the county not provide assistance or cooperation 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.” 

In most cases, when ICE becomes aware of suspected illegal aliens in local or state custody, the agency files a detainer with law enforcement,, which typically requests that ICE be notified ahead of any illegal alien releases. In some cases, the detainer asks that the suspect be held until ICE can take custody of them. 

ICE says this helps detain illegal aliens without having to go into communities and gets illegal immigrant offenders off the streets. Meanwhile, those who favor allowing illegal aliens to run roughshod over communities claim such policies can cause friction between law enforcement and otherwise law-abiding illegal aliens. 

“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,” the resolution read. 

“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.” 

Those who favor the resolution claim California’s sanctuary law has too many loopholes that still allow law enforcement agencies to notify ICE of release dates and transfer some individuals into their custody. 

Martinez disagrees with that sentiment. 

“As the sheriff of San Diego County, my No. 1 priority is protecting the safety and well-being of all residents of our diverse region. 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. 

While the office of the San Diego sheriff is nonpartisan, Martinez ran as a Democrat. 

“Victims include undocumented individuals. These vulnerable individuals express to me that their legal status is used as a weapon against them when offenders from their community victimize them,” she said. “We must protect the well-being of individuals, including those who are undocumented, which requires a careful approach that upholds the principles of justice, fairness, and compassion for all individuals involved.” 

President-elect Trump has promised to implement a mass deportation program headed by his border czar, Tom Homan. Homan has said nobody is “off the table” as far as deportations are concerned, although a priority will be criminals and those who pose a public safety threat.