San Diego County’s board of supervisors voted Tuesday to become a so-called “super sanctuary” jurisdiction, refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officials, even when illegal aliens in custody have committed violent crimes.
The county’s resolution cites the “California Values Act,” a law passed in 2017 to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. It limits cooperation between state and local officials and federal immigration authorities.
The resolution says that detainers issued by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) do not provide due process (for people who are not legally present in the U.S.) and that local officials will only cooperate with ICE if there is a judicial warrant.
Republican supervisor Jim Desmond, who was the lone dissenter in a 3-1 vote, called the new policy “an affront to every citizen who values safety and justice,” noting that it protects illegal aliens who have committed “violent and heinous crimes.”
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… pic.twitter.com/LypCR5S1GX
— Supervisor Jim Desmond (@jim_desmond) December 10, 2024
NEW: San Diego County becomes “Super” Sanctuary in 3-1 vote.
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) December 10, 2024
The resolution says the county, “Shall not provide assistance or cooperation to ICE in its civil immigration enforcement efforts including by giving ICE agents access to individuals or allowing them to use County… pic.twitter.com/FTrkN55V5X
Fox News’ Bill Melugin reported that San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez will not enforce the board’s policy, citing the fact that she is elected independently from the board and has her own separate jurisdiction.
NEW: San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez announces she will not adhere to the "super sanctuary" policy approved by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors today, pointing out that she is an independently elected official, the Board does not set policy for her office, and… pic.twitter.com/NigwuElztR
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) December 11, 2024
Without opposing the overall “sanctuary state” policy, Sheriff Martinez noted that California’s law allows local enforcement to communicate with federal officials about violent criminals, and said that she would continue to do so — whether the county board of supervisors agreed
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
