A multitude of elected officials, workers and law enforcement officials from Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties gathered at the Government Center in Salinas Wednesday to send a message to the immigrant community and the federal government.
“Today we stand together, locally, statewide and nationally to reaffirm that our immigrant families and workers are not alone,” said Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo.
During the press conference, the sheriffs from all three counties stood at the podium together and said that none of the agencies will cooperate with ICE operations.
“Our mission is not immigration enforcement, but to enhance public safety for us and all of our children,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark said. “When you dial 911, everyone will get the same compassionate service, that is our mission.”
San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor agreed.
“The bottom line is that it is the opinion of this sheriff and the directive to my staff, that hardworking migrants who are contributing to our society must be left alone,” Clark said. “Our administration in Washington D.C. must work to give a pathway to citizenship to those who are here contributing as part of the woven fabric of our communities. And you can spare me any rhetoric that merely crossing the southern border of the United States is some heinous crime that means someone needs to be sent back. I don’t buy it.”
The conference, which Alejo described as “a powerful show of unity,” was the first time all three counties had gathered together for such a purpose.
It happened as raids across the state by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are rounding up both undocumented immigrants and legal residents.
“Across California, in places like Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura, ICE operations have torn families apart and targeted immigrant workers, including farm workers,” Alejo said. “These actions are not just unjust, they are often unconstitutional, violating due process and civil rights in ways we simply cannot accept.”
Alejo said that the raids—and the mass deportations promised by President Donald Trump—would have severe consequences. He pointed to a study by the Bay Area Council, which shows that, if mass deportations were to happen, the state could lose an estimated $23 billion in tax revenue.
Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez said that the country needs comprehensive immigration reform from the current administration, not the “governance happening through fear.”
“That is the only path out of this cycle that we’ve been stuck in, where we point, where we blame, and where we accuse,” Lopez said.
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez told the crowd of about 150 people that many people support deporting violent felons. But ICE is far exceeding that mission, he added.
“This administration is pushing mass deportations that target hardworking immigrant families,” he said. “Even legal immigrants are being swept up in the raids.”
Hernandez called the federal actions “appalling.”
“This president is ignoring the Constitution, the rights of the states, and the governor,” he said.
Seaside Mayor Ian Oglesby said that the ICE actions are having a “chilling effect” on the community.
“Too many of our students are skipping classes, and hospitality and construction workers are staying home, united in one fear,” he said. “The fear that ICE will come knocking on their door and arrest their loved ones.The fear is tearing families apart and wrecking our local economy.”
