California Sheriffs Slam ‘Sanctuary State’ Bill

Radical measure would prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE

by Edmund Kozak | Updated 05 May 2017 at 11:51 AM

Sheriff’s departments across the state of California are urging their communities to resist California Senate Bill 54, currently being debated the California Assembly. The bill, which passed the upper chamber in the state legislature in April, would turn the Sunshine State into the Sanctuary State.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department issued a stinging critique of the bill last week. But rather than issue strong words, the Ventura County Sheriff’s office decided to let the facts speak for themselves.

“As a follow-up to our concerns over Senate Bill 54, we would like to provide more factual information regarding the types of individuals that would be released into our community if immigration authorities are not allowed in our jail as would be mandated by this bill,” the statement said.

“In the last 30 days ICE detained 50 inmates that were released from our jails,” said the statement. “All but one of the 50 inmates ICE detained had a prior arrest history, current felony charges, or prior deportation orders.”

The statement provided a sample of 15 of those 50 inmate. The crimes for which they were arrested — and the prior crimes for which they were arrested — are a stark, harrowing testament to the danger of sanctuary policies.

Inmate 1, for example, was arrested for felony domestic violence and had a list of priors including vehicle theft, hit and run, and drug possession. Inmates 2 and 3 were both arrested for felony domestic violence and had priors for sexual battery.

Inmate 5 was arrested for drunk driving and found to have priors that included lewd acts with a child under 14 and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Inmate 6 was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted kidnapping — he had three prior arrests on his record for assault with a deadly weapon and two priors for attempted kidnapping.

Inmate 8 was arrested for kidnapping, false imprisonment, and lewd acts with a child under 14, and had been previously arrested under the exact same charges. Inmate 11 was arrested for possession of a sawed-off shotgun — for the third time.

Should the California Assembly approve SB54, which would prohibit California law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and prevent ICE from entering jails and taking custody of criminal illegal aliens, dangerous felons like the ones listed by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department will be released back into the general population to wreak havoc.

“The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is committed to keeping the residents of Ventura County safe. Senate Bill 54 has passed the State Senate and is currently in the State Assembly,” the statement said. Please contact your State Assembly representative to fix this bill.

The Kern County’s Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) followed Ventura County’s lead this week, issuing a summary of illegal criminal aliens handed over to ICE’s custody, as well as a sample of inmates arrested in April, the crimes for which they were arrested, and their priors.

“For the current year 2017, ICE has been notified of 141 inmates pending release and has detained 117 upon release. In 2016, ICE was notified of 320 inmates pending release and detained 309 at the time of release,” said the KCSO statement.

"All but two of the 37 inmates released in April of 2017 had a prior arrest history, current felony charges, or prior deportation orders," the statement continued. "The two without prior arrest history were both very young (20 and 23 respectively). However, they were both facing serious felony charges as first-time offenses," it said.

During a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood made it clear that he would not comply with the bill if passed during a Board of Supervisors meeting.

"I want to make it clear that I am willing to go this alone. I am willing to declare Kern County, as the sheriff, that we are a non-sanctuary county," said Youngblood. "We will not be a sanctuary for criminals in Kern County," Youngblood told local news later that day.

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