Quick Take
Santa Cruz County elected officials are creating a subcommittee, led by Supervisors Monica Martinez and Felipe Hernandez, to prepare for the possible impacts of immigration enforcement on county residents.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is creating a subcommittee to help prepare for the possible impacts of immigration enforcement on county residents as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) become more aggressive with its tactics in other parts of the country.
The Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services and Local Defense (SHIELD) subcommittee will focus on ensuring the county is prepared to respond in “a coordinated, lawful and timely manner” if federal immigration authorities conduct large-scale operations, while also protecting access to essential services for all residents.
Supervisors Monica Martinez and Felipe Hernandez will lead the subcommittee, which will work with county staff, regional agencies and community partners that work directly with the county’s immigrant communities, such as Watsonville-based Community Action Board, the Pajaro Valley Collaborative and Your Allied Rapid Response.
“South County families are already feeling fear and uncertainty,” Hernandez said in a news release. “This effort is about making sure people can continue to work, take their kids to school and seek health care without fear.”
The county has a responsibility to be proactive, not reactive, Martinez said in the release. The subcommittee will allow for staff and community partners to work together to protect essential services, such as health care, to make sure they’re still accessible to residents as federal actions evolve, she said.
While Santa Cruz County has not experienced intense immigration enforcement like other parts of the country like Minneapolis, ICE agents have visited the county at least 30 times since President Donald Trump took office last January.
Prior to Trump’s inauguration, the board of supervisors passed a resolution affirming the county’s sanctuary status. Last March, the county also set aside $200,000 to provide legal services for undocumented residents and LGBTQ+ community support services.
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