The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to advance two policies on federal immigration enforcement proposed by Chair Terra Lawson-Remer — one setting guidelines on permitting federal authorities to enter county facilities, and the other dealing with people impersonating federal officers.
The first item calls for county staff to draft the Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules ordinance, which would clarify existing rules that “federal agents are prohibited from entering non-public areas of county facilities without a valid judicial warrant or court order,” with signs posted in multiple languages.
It would also require that contractors, grantees and leaseholders uphold those protections. The ordinance would be modeled on similar ordinances being passed across the region and will return within 30 days for board consideration.
Lawson-Remer also asked colleagues to let county counsel tackle fake federal law enforcement credentials and “pursue cease-and-desist orders, and coordinate with state and federal regulators to stop companies that enable these impostors by profiting from fake law-enforcement gear.”
Attorneys would return to the board in closed session on an ongoing basis every 90 days with updates and options, according to the board agenda.
Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe and Supervisor Paloma Aguirre voted for both proposals, while their colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond were opposed.
In a recent newsletter, Lawson-Remer stated that across the United States, “people have begun posing as federal immigration officers and are showing up at homes, flashing fake badges and threatening residents for profit.
“Why is this happening? When real (federal Immigration and Customers Enforcement) agents operate in secrecy, refuse to identify themselves, and detain citizens and noncitizens alike, it blurs the line between law enforcement and lawlessness and puts all of us at risk,” she added.
A recent CNN report showed “more reports of ICE impersonators this year than during the last four presidential terms combined,” according to the newsletter. “These predators are using fake ICE gear, including jackets, patches, badges and vests that can be bought online for next to nothing.”
Lawson-Remer is also requesting that the chief administrative officer send a letter backing the federal Visible Act, sponsored by Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla, which would require immigration officers to clearly identify themselves and ban face coverings.
During public comment on Tuesday, most who spoke urged the board to support both proposals.
Patricia Mondragon of Alliance San Diego said setting guidelines on federal officials and facilities would “send a clear message that San Diego stands for rights, dignity and due process for all.”
A Chicano Federation representative said the county has a moral obligation to support its residents.
Aguirre said residents in District 1, which she represents, have especially felt the direct impact of ICE operations. “We draw a firm line that county facilities must always be a place of safety, not fear,” she said. “For many families, a county office is the first place they seek help.”
Montgomery Steppe characterized the reports of masked ICE impersonators as a civil rights issue.
“At the end of the day … the whole purpose is to take due process from as many Americans as possible,” starting with migrants in the country illegally, she said. “We can `other’ (people) first, take rights away from them, and go through the process of getting closer to dictatorship in this country.”
Desmond said that no one likes seeing immigration raids near schools or in neighborhoods, “but we have to be honest, this doesn’t just automatically happen.”
Millions of people entered the county unvetted during the Biden administration, Desmond said, adding that he doesn’t think most of those migrants meant anyone harm, but some did and “we have to make sure that those people aren’t allowed to stay here in this country.”
“This is a policy failure, not a law enforcement failure,” said Desmond, who cited California’s sanctuary city designation as a factor and added that it’s important for law enforcement agencies to work together.
Desmond also said while he didn’t necessarily like officers covering their faces, it was important for them to protect themselves against the threat of assault or being doxed.
Anderson, who noted he wrote the state law that prohibits anyone using law enforcement badges for unauthorized reasons, said those who impersonated ICE officers to harm victims are now being prosecuted.
“All this does is what’s already prohibited in law,” he added.
The board’s actions followed a Monday decision by the San Diego City Council that tentatively approved an ordinance intended to prevent local law enforcement from joining certain federal task forces.