- The San Diego Sheriff will share immigrant information with ICE
- It will be the first local police force in five states that meets an unusual demand for data
- Requests for information are one of the last measures of the Donald Trump government
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will share the records of immigrants with criminal detentions with immigration authorities (ICE), becoming the first local police force in five states that meets an unusual demand for information, authorities said on Friday.
In recent weeks, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) has issued “administrative citations” – signed by a agent Immigration instead of by a judge – to state and local security agencies in Colorado, Connecticut, New York, Oregon and California.
The ad Sheriff Bill Gore said in a statement Thursday less than a week after the issuance of the subpoenas, which are the only ones so far in California. The department is the first in the five states to fulfill the request, said ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack.
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will share criminal records with ICE https://t.co/usOYdTzHMw
– AP News (@AP_News) February 22, 2020
Information that the San Diego sheriff will share immigrant information with detentions has been published in various media portals such as The Impartial.
Requests for information are one of Donald Trump’s latest measures against what he considers “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which adopt laws and policies to limit cooperation with immigration authorities.
“Although the sheriff’s department does not enforce immigration laws, we are required to comply with legally issued subpoenas,” the department statement said.
Police explained that state law that drastically limits cooperation with immigration authorities does not address citations explicitly. Previous requests for information had been voluntary, he added.
“A federal citation creates a legal obligation and is not‘ cooperation ’,” the note said.
Monika Langarica, a lawyer for the United States Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in San Diego and Imperial Counties, said state law referred by the police department, the California Securities Act, clearly prohibits sharing personal information that is not public with the ICE. The department should demand subpoenas issued by a court, he added.
“The issuance of ICE subpoenas, and the possible compliance with the sheriff’s office, jeopardize public safety and community trust,” said the lawyer.
The California attorney general’s office, Democrat Xavier Becerra, declined to comment.
Gore is a Republican elected to a position that is not officially partisan, who in the past served as director of the FBI office in San Diego. He is not known for maintaining a radical stance on immigration.
Robert Brewer, a San Diego prosecutor, explained that the department met two summons that were due this week. There are two others for the next one.
ICE issued its last round of subpoenas on Friday to several agencies in Oregon: the state police, the Hillsboro police department and the Sheriff’s offices in Wasco and Clackamas counties.
Share records of people with criminal detentions with immigration authoritieshttps://t.co/k9cVgjahDd
– ChiTrib_Español (@ChiTrib_Espanol) February 22, 2020
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