New San Mateo County ordinance says funds can't be used to help ICE detain people
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - San Mateo County says it may no longer use county resources to help the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain people without a warrant. The Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 Tuesday night to approve the new ordinance, however the ordinance must go through a second reading at the next Board of Supervisors meeting before it goes into effect.
California is a Sanctuary State which means local police must not go out of their way to help ICE arrest people. Supporters says this ordinance, if fully passed, would simply formalize what the state and the county have already been doing to build trust in the immigrant community.
In November 2021, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office implemented a policy saying it would no longer help ICE detain people without a warrant. Supporters of the ordinance say it's simply another step of building on that policy.
Supervisor Ray Mueller voted against the ordinance and proposed an amendment.
"I am supportive of the County’s move to become a sanctuary county. I am not in support of protecting persons convicted of the serious and violent crimes of rape, murder, and child molestation," Mueller said in a statement.
Advocates in San Mateo County say the ordinance is needed to help rebuild trust between law enforcement and the immigrant community.
"They will still write a warrant and request information on someone, so they have their own resources. What we don’t want to do is have our County at their initiative utilize internal resources and put people in danger by placing them with ICE," said Rita Mancera, executive director of Puente, a social justice advocacy group based in south San Mateo County.
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Immigration Attorney Amanda Alvarado Ford also says the ordinance will allow people to feel more comfortable reporting crimes regardless of their immigration status and says the ordinance provides protection for all people, not just people who may be undocumented.
"From 2015 to 2020 or so, about 70 potential U.S. citizens were actually deported by ICE. So, the fact that we have due process protections in a warrant for individuals who ICE is looking for, the Feds are looking for, that really keeps people safe and protects against ICE errors," said Alvarado Ford.