Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark told reporters Thursday that local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal officials if they come to the Central Coast as part of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policy.
Clark spoke at a press conference led by Rep. Jimmy Panetta that included elected officials, nonprofit leaders, education professionals and medical professionals. Speakers shared a similar message: The community will protect its immigrant population.
The roundtable discussion that preceded the press conference followed the shooting deaths in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Local law enforcement will not sit idly by in such situations, Clark said.
“If we are present, we see things like excessive use of force or blatant violations of the law, we have a duty to intercede,” Clark said.
Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said his office would support that enforcement.
“We will investigate it under state authority,” he said. “And if somebody deserves to be prosecuted, we will work on that and we will prosecute to the best of our abilities.”
Panetta said he heard many common themes during the roundtable.
“The words that we heard were fear, frustration, but most importantly, it’s about trust,” he said. “It’s about trust, not just with our law enforcement, but with all community organizations and with our communities to make sure that the people of Santa Cruz, of the Central Coast, of the 19th Congressional District continue to have trust in the institutions that do so much.”
Panetta criticized federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Instead, they are acting like a lawless, marauding mob posing as police,” he said. “At the federal level, we are doing what we can to make sure that we prevent further deadly shootings of U.S. citizens and the violation of civil liberties by ICE and CBP agents.”
Panetta said he has called for the resignation of DHS adviser Stephen Miller and Secretary Kristi Noem.
“If there’s not the removal of those two administration officials, you will see impeachment resolutions in the House that I will support,” he said.
Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez said the organization is working to help families who are afraid to get food lest they be targeted by immigration officials.
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah said the county’s schools prohibit federal officials from their campuses.
“We do not collect information about immigration status and we do not allow immigration officers on our campuses without a warrant signed by a judge,” he said.
“We know that students cannot learn if they’re feeling fear,” Sabbah said. “And for the past year, we have witnessed a constant attack on immigrant families, our most vulnerable communities, and public education.”
Sabbah called it “a devastating campaign of injustice and intimidation.”
“Every child has a right to a public education regardless of immigration status,” he said.
Bla Bla bla, our Leaders should Block this Gestapo, Administration, from, Coming, and Kidnapping People without, letting them speak, it’s Outrageous, and they’re will be more
Killing, ?? None is Happy about this.