Quick Take
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a new policy outlining what staff should do if they encounter federal immigration officials on county property.
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The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a new policy outlining how county staff should act if they are approached by federal immigration officials.
The new policy follows the board’s recent adoption of an ordinance barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using county-owned facilities, such as buildings, parking lots and parks, for enforcement purposes.
Immigration agents have visited Santa Cruz County at least 39 times since January 2025, including the arrest of a Watsonville resident in January 2026. Federal officials have thus far not conducted a large-scale enforcement operation in the county and have conducted only targeted arrests.
County Executive Nicole Coburn told elected officials on Tuesday that the new policy is aimed at ensuring all departments are consistent if they were to encounter ICE agents. “It provides some clear guidelines of what should happen if the [ICE] agents come to a department and are in public spaces,” she said.
Each county department is required to establish a “response liaison,” someone designated to handle interactions with federal agents, according to the policy. Departments will also need to establish specific procedures to inform staff internally if immigration officials are on county property.
Staff are directed to “not touch or physically block federal law enforcement officers” from entering county property. The “response liaison,” according to the county protocol, is tasked with moving the federal agents to a location away from residents seeking social services, any confidential information and also to get the agents’ names and badge numbers.
The policy also outlines what county staff should do if ICE agents conduct an unauthorized search or enter county property without a judicial warrant. If this were to happen, staff will need to contact their immediate supervisor, department directors and county counsel.
“The proposal to update our county policy manual identifies an obvious shortcoming in our training, which is what should county staff do if ICE shows up at the door,” said Supervisor Manu Koenig. He added that the new policy will help eliminate any confusion and panic among community members and staff.
The board of supervisors also received a report from the county Office of Inspector General, which conducted an audit on the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office’s use of automated license-plate reader cameras following community members’ concerns over the use of this technology. The report found that the department has not used the technology improperly.
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