Sonoma County Rebuffs Homeland Security's Call For ICE Cooperation: Report

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Department of Homeland Security officials visited Sonoma County last week following the installation of a new DHS regional supervisor. During that meeting, Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office officials said DHS asked if the sheriff’s office would notify the department when undocumented people are arrested.

State law permits local authorities to respond to DHS inquiries in cases of violent crime. The sheriff’s office said they would stick to their policy of responding to ICE requests under limited conditions, said spokesman Sergeant Juan Valencia.

County supervisor Lynda Hopkins was also present at the meeting. She said she shared the details because she believes the public has a right to know about the visit during a time of tremendous concern about immigration enforcement.

Sonoma County was on a Department of Homeland Security list identifying “sanctuary jurisdictions” removed earlier this year from the agency's website days after being published, following pushback from local governments and questions about its accuracy, according to The Associated Press.

The department published the list of jurisdictions on May 29. It said each one would receive formal notification from the government if they are deemed uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement and believed to be violating federal criminal statutes.

The list was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to target communities, states, and jurisdictions that it says aren’t doing enough to help its immigration enforcement agenda and the promises the president made to deport more than 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal authorization.

The list followed President Donald Trump’s April 28 executive order directing DHS and the attorney general to identify jurisdictions “obstructing federal immigration law enforcement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.