As part of Santa Barbara County’s response to local immigration enforcement activity, the Board of Supervisors approved an idea to ask Sheriff Bill Brown to share any information he receives involving U.S immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The supervisors also amended the county’s legislative platform to advocate for enforcement officers to identify themselves during operations as well as policies that protect civil rights and prevent immigration enforcement in sensitive places.
Per state law, sheriff’s officials can’t intervene or participate in immigration operations, but Brown has told the Board of Supervisors that ICE officials do notify the Sheriff’s Office before operations in Santa Barbara County, including the raid on Glass House Farms’ cannabis operations in Carpinteria in July.
The action came after Larry Barrett with Indivisible Santa Barbara made the suggestion during public comment at Tuesday’s meeting so that the county can get more information about ICE operations.
“The sheriff could share these notices with you after the fact so you would know when and where ICE had been,” Barrett said. “With this information, you could gauge the extent of ICE activity here and measure trends. You are not helpless when it comes to the sheriff — you control his budget.”
The county will ask Brown to share such information through regular reports to the board.
County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato shared that the county has not received a response to the public records request it sent to ICE about local residents who agents have arrested in Santa Barbara County.
Second District Supervisor Laura Capps added that ICE also hasn’t responded to the county’s invitation to speak at a Board of Supervisors hearing about immigration operations.
Tuesday’s vote to update the county’s legislative platform was in response to a July 10 federal raid in Carpinteria, where agents arrested 10 immigrants and used smoke and flash grenades on protesters.
At a July 15 Board of Supervisors meeting, the board asked county staff to return with an item to amend the county’s legislative platform.
Clare Tobin, the county’s legislative analyst, explained that by amending the county’s platform, it will be easier for staff and contracted advocates to support or oppose state or federal legislation without requiring a full board hearing and vote.
Capps said the county needed to amend its legislative platform to address the issues facing immigrant communities right now as federal immigration raids go forward throughout the state.
“We are on record that we need due process, that no one should be subject to this kind of treatment that we saw in Carpinteria and elsewhere, that we see on a regular basis in 2025, and I think it’s important that our legislative platform reflect that,” Capps said.
The county’s current legislative platform just advocated for Congress and the president to pass comprehensive immigration reform that improves the current system.
Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino noted that for decades Congress has struggled to pass any kind of immigration reform.
“It’s one of those difficult items that I’m not sure either side wants to fix, but I’m glad that we’re on the record as pushing for something that makes sense nationally,” Lavagnino said.
The county amended its legislative platform to support policies requiring law enforcement officers, including immigration officials, to clearly identify themselves during operations, meaning agents wouldn’t be allowed to wear masks or disguises except for specialized gear or safety equipment when necessary.
The amended platform also includes support to uphold civil rights protections, such as due process as well as freedom from unlawful searches and seizures, and urges Congress and the presidential administration to reinstate and codify policies that prohibit immigration enforcement in schools, hospitals and places of worship.
Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson abstained from voting on the amended legislative platform because of mixed feelings on the positions.
“Having things in here that I can support and some things that I can’t support, I’m just going to abstain from this one because I don’t want to send the message that I’m against some of these things because I think there are some really important things we should be advocating for, especially due process and equal protection,” Nelson said.
