San Mateo County Ends Cooperation With ICE For Prison Transfers

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it would no longer cooperate with requests by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to transfer inmates into its custody, after activists called out the county at a public forum last week for the practice.

“It has become apparent to me that complying with those requests regarding the pending release of undocumented individuals who have committed serious crimes is undermining the trust we need to protect the community,” Sheriff Carlos Bolanos said in a news release. “It simply is not worth losing the trust of many members of the public by continuing to process these requests from ICE.”

In 2020, San Mateo County transferred by far the most prisoners to ICE out of any other Bay Area county with 21. Alameda County transferred eight prisoners, Solano County transferred one and Marin, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Napa, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties all had zero transfers. So far this year, San Mateo County has transferred 15 prisoners to ICE.

The decision aligns the county’s policy regarding ICE with that of the other Bay Area counties.

“This change is being made after we heard from hundreds of residents who shared their perspective on how we will all be safer when the entire community understands the Sheriff’s Office is here to protect the public, not enforce immigration laws,” Bolanos added.

More than 100 people gave public testimony last week at the county’s TRUTH Act Forum, a meeting that counties cooperating with ICE must hold once a year.

Bolanos noted that most individuals convicted of serious crimes serve their sentences in state prison, not the county jail, and that if ICE believes an individual poses a serious threat, it can obtain a judicial warrant.

“This is a momentous and compassionate decision by our sheriff to end cooperation with ICE,” said David Canepa, president of the county’s Board of Supervisors. “He listened to the community and values all our residents regardless of immigration status. This is a policy change that will keep families whole and I applaud Sheriff Bolanos for taking this action.”

Supervisors Don Horsley and Carole Groom also released statements supporting the sheriff’s decision.

“This decision is consistent with the sheriff’s personal values and deep-rooted commitment to serve and protect all San Mateo County residents, regardless of immigration status,” Horsley said.

Groom thanked the sheriff for working with the Board of Supervisors to quickly implement the change.

“We thank the sheriff for listening to the public and taking their comments very seriously and adopting a new policy,” Groom said.