SAN DIEGO – Two major law enforcement agencies in San Diego have no plans to change their current immigration enforcement policies when President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.
According to a statement from the San Diego Police Department, it will continue to operate under its idea that the city of San Diego is “one of the safest big cities” in the U.S. for immigrants.
Under its policy, suspects who are identified as illegal immigrants are turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for processing. Furthermore, the SDPD does not check the immigration status of victims or witnesses to crimes.
The city of San Diego is often listed as one of the so-called “Sanctuary Cities,” which allegedly have a policy of sheltering illegal immigrants. Although city officials have noted that San Diego has no official laws designating itself as such.
Meanwhile, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department told 10News in a statement that it leaves immigration law enforcement “almost entirely with federal agencies and officials.”
Statement from the SDPD:
“The San Diego Police Department recognizes and values the diversity of the community it serves. We work closely with Federal, State, and local agencies to ensure San Diego remains one of the safest big cities in the United States.“The San Diego Police Department focuses primarily on crime prevention and enforcing local laws. Once a suspect is arrested and booked into the San Diego County Jail, the primary responsibility for the enforcement of Federal immigration laws rests with the United States Customs and Border Protection Services.“The San Diego Police Department does not check the immigration status of victims and witnesses of crimes to encourage all people to come forward, confident in the knowledge their report will be investigated thoroughly and professionally.”
Statement from the sheriff’s department:
“Federal immigration agencies and officials have primary jurisdiction and responsibility for the enforcement of immigration laws. Under California law, the primary function of a Sheriff's Deputy is to enforce the laws of the State of California. In general, California state law leaves the direct enforcement of immigration laws almost entirely with federal agencies and officials. It is the Department's policy regarding the enforcement of immigration law that Deputies shall not utilize immigration officials for the sole purpose of determining the person's immigration status.“The SDSO maintains strong relationships with our federal law enforcement partners. All individuals booked into a San Diego County Jail have their fingerprints checked in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's system to determine their immigration status. ICE agents are stationed in our booking facilities and they are responsible for determining an individual's immigration status and appropriate enforcement action. When ICE officials wish to take custody of an inmate in the San Diego County jails, they are provided the date, time and place of that person's release. Consistent with California law, the Sheriff's Department does not detain inmates past their scheduled release date without lawful authority.“The Sheriff's Department does not anticipate any changes to its policies related to the enforcement of immigration at this time."
