Quick Take
At its Tuesday meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will discuss an ordinance that would prohibit federal immigration officials from using county-owned property for enforcement activities.
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The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is considering an ordinance that would ban immigration officials from using county-owned facilities for immigration enforcement as federal actions continue to escalate around the United States.
The proposed ordinance, up for discussion at Tuesday’s board meeting, would prohibit the use of county-owned or -controlled parking lots, buildings and open spaces for civil immigration enforcement, according to a county staff report. The ordinance would also prohibit county staff from allowing immigration officials from using county properties for processing locations, operations bases or staging areas to organize and deploy personnel.
The ordinance would direct the county executive’s office to develop procedures, such as requiring any county employee who is aware of a violation to report it to their supervisor, and ensuring physical barriers are used to limit access, according to the staff report.
“The county’s ability to deliver health care, public benefits, and other essential services depends on trust between residents and public agencies,” Board Chair Monica Martinez said in a media release. “Policies that reinforce clarity, consistency, and lawful boundaries ensure residents continue to access the services they need.”
Last month, the Watsonville City Council became the first jurisdiction in the county to pass a resolution barring federal immigration officials using its properties, following in the footsteps of cities around the country, including San Jose, Santa Clara and Chicago. Cabrillo College’s governing board also passed a similar resolution.
In the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidential administration, federal immigration officials visited Santa Cruz County at least 30 times, with the most recent visit in January involving the arrest of a Watsonville resident.
The board of supervisors has taken other action to show support for the county’s immigrant community, including reaffirming its sanctuary status weeks after the November 2024 election. County officials recently voted to condemn the “escalating violence and harmful community impacts,” after violent and deadly immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and other parts of the country.
In January, supervisors created a subcommittee to help prepare for the possible impacts of immigration enforcement on county residents. That subcommittee is scheduled to present its first report at Tuesday’s meeting.
County staff have also been instructed to advise their supervisors immediately if U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) agents come to county-owned buildings asking questions. Immigration officials are also not allowed to enter non-public areas of county buildings without a signed judicial warrant, according to the Santa Cruz County’s sanctuary policy.
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