This week, the San Diego Board of Supervisors voted to turn the county into a “super” sanctuary county by preventing police from notifying immigration authorities about illegal aliens.
“Today’s outrageous decision to turn San Diego County into a “Super” Sanctuary County is an affront to every law-abiding citizen who values safety and justice. The Board of Supervisors’ 3-1 vote to embrace this radical policy is a direct betrayal of the people we are sworn to protect,” San Diego Supervisor Jim Desmond wrote on X.
“This reckless measure not only goes far beyond California's already extreme Sanctuary State laws but actively endangers our communities by shielding illegal immigrant criminals from deportation. Consider this: under this policy, law enforcement is prohibited from notifying ICE about individuals, in custody, who have committed violent and heinous crimes, including: Rape and stalking, Assault and battery, Burglary, Child abuse and more,” he added.
“We will not allow our local resources to be used for actions that separate families, harm community trust, or divert critical local resources away from addressing our most pressing challenges,” Nora Vargas, a Democrat who joined two other Democrats on the board of supervisors to approve the policy, said, according to ABC News.
Shortly after, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office responded to the vote. In a statement, the Sheriff Kelly Martinez said that she “will not change its practices based on the Board resolution and policy” protecting illegal aliens.
“The Board of Supervisors does not set policy for the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff, as an independently elected official, sets the policy for the Sheriff’s Office,” the statement read.
“California law prohibits the Board of Supervisors from interfering with the independent, constitutionally and statutorily designated investigative functions of the Sheriff, and is clear that the Sheriff has the sole and exclusive authority to operate the county jails,” it concluded.
UPDATE: San Diego County Sheriff says they will not follow the Board’s resolution to turn San Diego into a super sanctuary city to protect illegals. Incredible https://t.co/ZJa1C2NmSv pic.twitter.com/hLcM9fyvlt
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 11, 2024
According to ABC, the sheriff’s office is nonpartisan, but Martinez identifies as a Democrat.