The Antelope Valley Times

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Watchdog group wants sheriff’s department to freeze out ice

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LOS ANGELES –  Members of a watchdog group have signaled that they want the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to take more powerful steps to distance itself from the work of federal immigration enforcement agents.

A series of preliminary recommendations by the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission called for the department to bar jail access to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and stop honoring ICE’s requests to detain inmates, except when required by law, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Last year, 1,223 inmates released from the Los Angeles County jail system were transferred to ICE custody, according to the sheriff’s inspector general. The department spends an estimated $1.4 million a year on administrative expenses to evaluate ICE detainer requests, an amount that could instead be diverted to other projects, some members of the oversight commission argued, according to The Times.

The recommendations, if adopted, would represent a hard-line stance against immigration enforcement in the spirit of “sanctuary” policies that gained momentum as a reaction against the immigration crackdown under the Trump administration.

The Sheriff’s Department has been allowing ICE to use office space inside the jails and gives ICE access to inmates who have been convicted of serious or violent crimes, as allowed by Senate Bill 54, California’s “sanctuary state” law.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell has said that shutting out ICE could prompt the immigration agents to wait in the lobby, which could have a “chilling effect” on people and their families.

Deputies are prohibited from asking people about their immigration status and do not participate in immigration raids, McDonnell has said.

Some members of the oversight commission want the access given to ICE, which is voluntary, to stop.

“When the 18,000 men and women from the Sheriff’s Department come into work, the people should know that they’re working for them only, and not for Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” said commissioner Hernan Vera, a business litigator, who added he was speaking for himself and not the group, The Times reported.

But one member expressed concerns that the proposals could undermine public safety.

“The reality is we are putting people that have been convicted of robbery, burglary, and so forth, who are illegally in the United States, back in these communities. What’s the impact there?” said commissioner Robert Bonner, a former federal judge. He said that if the department doesn’t comply with ICE detainers, it may leave immigration agents with no choice but to conduct more enforcement in places where people live and work, subjecting officers and residents to greater risk.

The debate over the Sheriff’s Department’s relationship to ICE has been a feature in the still-undecided sheriff’s election, with McDonnell’s challenger, Alex Villanueva, garnering support for promising to kick immigration agents out of the jails.

Villanueva, a retired sheriff’s lieutenant who is ahead of McDonnell by 22,000 votes, has also said he would “march (inmates) out … and give them to ICE” in a courtyard adjacent to the jail. Some have interpreted that stance as signaling closer cooperation with ICE, according to The Times.

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Filed Under: Politics

37 comments for "Watchdog group wants sheriff’s department to freeze out ice"

    • Stay in your basement and never say that out loud where someone might hear you. Telling people to their face that you hate them can be a dangerous business, and we wouldn’t want you to get hurt.

      Actually, you’re pretty useless to me so I wouldn’t really care if you got hurt, but some good citizen getting in trouble for hurting you would be a sad thing.

  2. Here is the ”Federal Law” that prohibits illegal aliens from being in our country & to those who knowingly ”aide & abett” these individuals…. Federal Law supercedes State Law… Sadly, several years ago, Mayor Rex Parris was willing to take the ”un-accompanied children” that the previous POTUS was flying all over the country in the dead of the night…. (Click on link below!)

    ICE & Sheriff’s are all SWORN TO UPHOLD THE LAW (Federal & State) & they should work together to keep our Communities ”SAFE & SECURE”…. We do NOT need illegals in our County who violate our laws, commit felons. just as we do to American’s who commit felons & we incarcerate them or DEPORT those that are here illegally…

    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1324

    • Ok. In order to change law, existing law has to be argued against.
      Some people find current interpretation of immigration law, and the carrying out of consequences of that interpretation to be against the meaning of the law/s at the time they were written. Or in some cases, just that they need to be changed for whatever reason (and there are many different reasons given).
      To argue, the law often has to be bent/broken and cases fought in court in order to change, no matter how slowly, the ruling of law and/or reforming of law.
      Believe it or not, even those that are sworn to uphold the law may have opinions that are counter to the law, and they will participate in changing the laws they disagree with.
      I love our American system.

    • [removed] you think that the people who are legal don’t commit crimes just click on the principals story and she will prove to you that even white legal people commit crimes.

  3. Right now their are punks racing cars on Division Street like always in Palmdale…. and in the wash between homes and Sams Club we have over 20 junkies homeless and for 5 years straight firing off a gun… meanwhile a teacher set up a hate crime toward my son and I. She was also a home wrecker destroyed my whole family…. I’m getting ready to do a story on Dateline on what happenned to my family and home all due to people in power. Teachers now days…….. abuse of power by off duty deputy’s as neighbors…. caught breaking in my home… nobody is safe anymore everyone is a judge mental bad guy. As for the home wrecker teacher drunk…. I hope you go to jail Mary.

  4. Every law enforcement agency that refuses to alert ICE is breaking a federal law. Harboring a criminal. Coming into this country illegally is a federal crime. Yet the federal government chooses not to prosecute all the sheriff’s, and chief of police who chose to break the law, just as they don’t arrest ones using pot in the states that allow it. Just because states make their own laws dose not void federal laws.

    • Wrong. No one is “refusing to alert ICE.” It is not your job to ask people on the street their immigration status…and it isn’t the sheriff’s job either. Since it isn’t your job to ask, you don’t know and you have nothing to report.

      Before you spout, find out. Otherwise you wind up looking foolish.

      • When they are flat out wrong why should I agree with them? When they are flat out wrong why do you have to make a big deal out of me not agreeing with them?

        • We know per article, deputies are prohibited from asking people about their immigration status. Inmates going to jail are fingerprinted, and that is federal. ICE has that information, and the sheriff’s work with this to keep violent offenders from being released into communities. Even the immigrants don’t want violent offenders around. Villanueva will march released inmates out to the courtyard to turn them over to ICE.

        • Could you expand on “fingerprinting is federal”?

          When they book you into jail they run your fingerprints against outstanding warrants, federal or not. If you have an outstanding misdemeanor no law enforcement agency in the country, other than ICE, is going to even suggest that you be detained pending them eventually getting around to picking you up. Illegal entry IS a misdemeanor, and what ICE is upset about is that the county isn’t spinning massively expensive wheels to hold these people on an ICE misdemeanor.

          You are correct, that NO ONE wants violent criminals turned out into the public. What you don’t seem to get is that that is not anywhere near what this is about.

          • Fingerprints are a standard part of a booking record, and are entered into a nationwide database maintained by the FBI, and accessible to local, state, and federal police agencies. They also check for outstanding warrants. When you are booked into jail, it is not because you entered illegally, it is because of something else. all fingerprinting is federal, therefore a person that is being released from jail, that is here illegally will be met by ICE. because of another offense.

          • If ICE turns up to wait for their release, that’s their business. Just like if I commit some sort of petty misdemeanor in LA county and subsequently get booked into a jail in Vermont on another charge it is possible that the LASD would dispatch someone to meet me when I get out.

            The point is that it is almost certain that they wouldn’t. LA County is not going to pay the costs to send deputies to Vermont after me over a petty misdemeanor. They also are not going to ask Vermont to bear the costs of holding me pending extradition…even the minor costs of responding to a request for information regarding my release date, which isn’t necessarily public domain information anyway so LA County wouldn’t have any right to it in the first place.

            If the US Government wants to fund ICE such that they can just hang around waiting for people who are wanted for a petty misdemeanor to walk out of the jail, that’s certainly within their authority. But it isn’t up to LA County to fund cooperating in such a fool’s errand.

          • What are you talking about, Tim? You don’t get what is being said, so you go into this very wordy convoluted nonsense. Now you have ICE just hanging around waiting for misdemeanors to walk out of jail which wasn’t the content of the comment. Then you bring up LA County funding, which has absolutely zero to do with anything that was discussed. Wake up, and come back to reality, if you ever are. Go to Vermont and go into the maple syrup business, man, because you’re way out there.

          • Some of the intervening comments got moderated.

            The gist is that people keep wrongly claiming that somehow telling the LASD not to do ICE’s job for them is, or ought to be, a crime. I get tired of just saying “no, you’re just flat wrong” or “read the constitution,” so I keep trying new ways to get the point across to them.

          • The Obama administration deported 2.7 million over eight years, relying on cooperation with local law enforcement agencies to detain and deport undocumented immigrants. You need to understand that there are many variables, and you are extremely biased. Were you trying to get people to see what Obama was doing?

          • I’m way more interested in what the LASD is doing. Their intention is to get along with the community we live in. Get people to step forward when they witness a crime rather than running to hide; call a cop when their husband beats them rather than feeling like they just have to take it to avoid deportation; join the neighborhood watch instead of a gang. I think that’s a good thing for LASD to be doing.

      • Yes it actually is the sheriffs job. Thats why they ask for identification whenever you talk to them.

        • If you are going to call yourself “American” maybe you should familiarize yourself with the law.

          Identification is not proof of citizenship. They ask for the former, not the latter, and their right to ask even for the former is far more limited than they act like it is.

          • Yeah but unless you are a LEGAL CITIZEN you cant get identification saying you belong here. Not legally anyway. So yes even if your little mexican friends “arent hurting anyone” they are breaking the law by preforming IDENTITY THEFT. Which is a FEDERAL OFFENSE. I say we start a law stating we can execute illegals in defense of our country. I didn’t fight in a war so other people can barge their way in. They dont like their contry? Well change it. If not, then too bad

          • Actually, you can get proof of identity from the DMV without proof of citizenship. You can get a school ID card from a school by being a student, without proof of citizenship. Plenty of employers provide photo ID badges to employees that prove identity without proof of citizenship.

            Your obvious hatred has blinded you to reality, making you far more dangerous than someone who has committed the petty misdemeanor of illegal entry. If anyone should be “executed in defense of our country” I’d prefer it be you.

            It seems you may be suffering some sort of trauma related illness from this war you fought. Please seek help.

    • Tom…Sheriff’s Dept. is ‘mistakenly’ allowing ICE to view release dates of inmates. Many ways around this. Also per article: Villanueva will “march (inmates) out…and give them to ICE.” Tim, this has nothing to do with citizens asking people on the street their immigration status, and why don’t you stop spouting your superior attitude, because you look foolish. Read the article again, Tim. Other opinions besides yours are welcome, and Tom’s comment is not foolish.

      • Because in terms of immigration enforcement a sheriff’s deputy IS just a citizen on the street. Enforcement of immigration law is not their job. Unless the immigration status of the person they are talking to is somehow relevant to whatever they are investigating they technically have no right to even ask about immigration status.

        Opinions are fine. Statements of fact that are glaringly wrong get corrected. That’s life.

        • Enforcement of laws is their entire job. So youryou’re saying that if someone kills someone in 3 states on the east coast then flees to the west coast the the sherriffs should not help the fbi because its not their job? No. A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER is supposed to ENFORCE THE LAW. And the law states DONT BE HERE ILLEGALLY

          • Immigration law is specifically assigned as the responsibility of the federal government and its agencies. States are not allowed, under the constitution that you claim to have defended, to make immigration laws. It is strictly outside their jurisdiction.

  5. Can we just let the law enforcementant agencies do there job? It’s simple! Listen to your boss and do your job! Screw all this social media [removed] and just let them do their job!! All this political agenda [removed] just creates problems! Thank you law enforcement for enforcing the laws we the people have voted into law! Be vigilant! Be fair! Be kind!

  6. What if it was you. Just a person who wanted a better life.. What if it was YOU born in a country with no future.. no jobs.. and all you want is to work.. and to have a chance at a decent life.. to have a home and be able to provide for your family. But America says NO! You cant come here! Because we are greedy and selfish and this is OUR LAND! Dont you DARE come here and try and take what we were lucky to have by a roll of the dice..

    • I was born in a country like that. Its called America. I served in the military to defend it. Now because i cant find work. Why? Because the color of my skin. Companies are bashed if they dont chose the minority first. This keeps white people from working. Whether you like it or not that is discriminatory. If you dont speak spiik then you are no use and your app gets tossed. Why? Because you dont speak a FOREIGN language. The language of america is ENGLISH. NOT SPANISH. I dont have a choice but to live here. I cant flee to another country. So why should these people come and kick me out of my home? No mexicans belong in mexico and the ones here should be put down like the mutts they are

      • Sure you can. Just man up and GTFO. No one will miss your sorry excuse making butt. Anyone saying “poor me, I can’t succeed with the terrible handicap of this white skin” is too incompetent to make it in a country that values success.

    • Good thing that isn’t what they are doing then, isn’t it?

      By the way, the exact same section of the constitution that says California can’t make up immigration laws says that enforcing immigration laws is the federal government’s job and they can’t force states to do it for them…or counties.

      • As I read the article, the sheriff’s department would not be enforcing immigration laws. They are simply introducing inmates to ICE so ICE can enforce immigration laws, as applicable.

        • “Introducing them” based on what, exactly? Feel free to explain how they choose who to “provide” with such an “introduction” if they are not illegally investigating possible infractions of immigration laws.

        • Exactly, Tom! Villanueva will be marching “them” from jail to the courtyard, and introducing inmates to ICE, so ICE can enforce immigration laws.

  8. People who do not believe in enforcement of our Fed. Laws should not hold office and should be in jail. You can’t just follow the laws you want and not follow the laws you don’t like.

    • Like that law that says enforcement of immigration laws is the federal government’s job, and they can’t make state law enforcement do it for them…is that the one that you mean when you say “they can’t just not follow the ones they don’t like”?

  9. “The reality is we are putting people that have been convicted of robbery, burglary, and so forth, who are illegally in the United States, back in these communities. What’s the impact there?”

    It is hard to believe that anyone in any community would want this.