This story was originally published by CalMatters.
President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to ramp up immigration enforcement could put California’s 58 elected sheriffs in the hot seat because of their responsibility to manage local jails. CalMatters surveyed all of California’s sheriff’s about how they plan to navigate the complexities in local, state and federal immigration laws. Here’s what they told us.
CalMatters reached out to the sheriffs by email and website contact forms. When those weren’t available, we called the contact number on their website. Two county sheriffs’ offices — Monterey and San Mateo — did not return calls seeking comment.
For months, Trump allies have signaled that they’d focus initial immigration enforcement on undocumented people who have committed crimes. This month, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would empower immigration agencies to deport people arrested on suspicion of burglary, theft and shoplifting. The bill is expected to pass the Senate.
During the previous Trump administration, then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a so-called sanctuary law that limits how local enforcement agencies interact with federal immigration officers. At the time, several sheriffs from inland counties criticized the law and embraced Trump’s immigration policies.