Supervisors vote to maintain current policy regarding civil detainers

SAN JOSE—Today, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to maintain the county's current policy regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests. The board also unanimously voted to establish a working group to study other communities' experiences with the implementation of California's Trust Act.

Commenting on the board's actions, Supervisor Cindy Chavez said, "Our residents insist on a community that is both safe and just. We cannot put the burden of the public safety argument onto the backs of a small group of people." Chavez further stated, "Discussions over documentation aside, our County must take a deep look at the inadequacies of our current criminal justice system that fails to create a safe environment, especially with regards to cases of domestic violence."

The Trust Act, was designed to establish the maximum level of cooperation that communities can provide to ICE regarding detainer requests. The law further stipulates that counties are allowed to develop policies that are tailored to the needs of their specific communities.