###
At a public meeting last night, Humboldt County law enforcement officials vowed to uphold local and state sanctuary policies aimed at protecting undocumented people from deportation.
“I will be very, very clear here. I will follow our state law, our state ordinances [and] our county ordinance to the T,” said Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal. “That’s my job … and I just want to reaffirm that we have been following [the Humboldt County Sanctuary Ordinance] since it’s been in place.”
Members of the Sanctuary Standing Committee of the Humboldt County Human Rights Commission convened a public meeting on Thursday to discuss the status of the local sanctuary ordinance, which prohibits local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration officials, and what protections it may offer undocumented people once President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office.
The incoming administration’s mass deportation plans have triggered anxiety among immigrant communities, prompting rampant misinformation on social media and false reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sweeps in dozens of California cities, including Eureka.
Speaking at last night’s meeting, Humboldt District Attorney Stacey Eads said the county sanctuary ordinance and state sanctuary laws “remain in place,” emphasizing that local law enforcement does not communicate with or assist federal immigration officers. “I hope that can somehow address the real fears that I suspect folks have regarding potential changes within the federal government,” she said. “We will continue to do what we’ve been doing.”
However, there are exceptions for people who have been convicted of serious and violent crimes. In such cases, “some level of communication” with federal immigration officials can occur, Eads said.
One meeting attendee asked if the federal government could pressure local law enforcement “into complying with their objectives” through a lawsuit. Eads acknowledged that “all sorts of lawsuits can be filed” but said there’s no way to tell whether they would be successful.
“That’s a whole other question, and that’s really not what guides me as your district attorney,” she said. “My job is to enforce the laws and uphold the Constitution of both the United States and the State of California, and to ensure that I do everything I can to enhance public safety here in the County of Humboldt. I intend to follow the law, and as the law now states, there are limitations in terms of what sort of interaction or assistance that law enforcement can engage in … with federal immigration officers and officials.”
Honsal took a similar stance, emphasizing that his “primary job” as sheriff is to enforce local and state laws, not federal law. “I have no jurisdiction over federal law enforcement here,” he said. “I cannot enforce federal law. That’s not my job. … [The federal government] can’t necessarily put any pressure on me because they can’t force me to do anything that’s outside of my ability to do.”
Another person in attendance asked if local law enforcement has the ability to verify whether or not ICE is conducting a local sweep. Honsal reiterated that federal immigration officials do not tell local law enforcement when they’re coming to town, which can make it difficult to dispel rumors.
“Before the sanctuary ordinance was in place … we had open dialogue with ICE,” he continued. “Every time they came into town, I was able to call them up, talk to their local agents and they were able to tell me what’s going on. They actually told me when they were coming into town and it was very helpful. … If they do plan on coming here, I would still hope that they would call us but I don’t have any guarantees that they would.”
In years past, a call from ICE was usually triggered by a recent arrest, Honsal said. When a person is booked and fingerprinted at the local jail, their information is transmitted to federal law enforcement and immigration authorities. If the person in custody is wanted for an immigration violation, the feds will ask for them to be held on a detainer.
“We do not [currently] honor that hold,” Honsal said. “We do not hold anyone beyond what their stated charges are keeping them in custody for.” The only time the sheriff’s office will release an individual to ICE is if they have been previously convicted of a serious or violent crime, he added.
Responding to a question about potential ICE sweeps at local schools, Honsal emphasized that federal immigration officials are prohibited from conducting enforcement operations in certain areas, including schools, healthcare facilities and places of worship. (A full list of protected areas can be found at this link.)
“I can tell you right now that students are safe,” he said. “I don’t think there should be any concern that ICE is going to show up and randomly start asking people who they are and whether or not they’re in the country legally. I know it’s hard to offer reassurance to people when it’s something that I have no control over. … I don’t want people to unnecessarily stress or be in fear. We want people to feel comfortable living here and being in Humboldt County, knowing that law enforcement and our government is there to support everyone here.”
After about two hours of discussion, the committee unanimously voted to send a letter to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors “urging cautious compliance.” (It wasn’t exactly specified what the committee will urge the board to comply with, or what it should be cautious about.) The board will discuss the letter and the county’s sanctuary ordinance at an upcoming meeting on Feb. 4.
Click “play” on the video above to listen to the full discussion.
CLICK TO MANAGE