An annual forum will take place Tuesday morning in Contra Costa County to discuss how much collaboration is taking place between the sheriff’s department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
But this year’s forum is taking on a whole new meaning due to an increase in ICE activity across the Bay Area.
“Last year we only had a few people show up at our TRUTH Act forum, this year we’re going to have a packed house, maybe hundreds of people,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.
He is expecting a large turnout at Tuesday’s board meeting for the county’s annual forum to discuss the TRUTH Act, which went into state law back in 2017.
The purpose of the law is to provide an annual report showing the interactions between local law enforcement and ICE.
This year, there’s more interest in the forum due to an increase in ICE activity across the Bay Area.
“People are extra concerned this year that any mistakes law enforcement makes could result in an innocent person being sent to another country and being put in a prison and locked away,” said Gioia.
In 2024, the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Department said it received 578 requests from ICE, and only notified them about 132 individuals.
Immigration advocates are calling on the sheriffs department to stop notifying ICE altogether and for the county to do so too unless there is a warrant or court order.
“Our concern is that there should be a look back at the prior ICE notifications and that the community and the public defender’s office and the county be made aware of how many wrongful notifications there have been,” said Chief Public Defender of Contra Costa County Ellen McDonnell.
“It is possible under the law for someone who commits graffiti on a wall to be reported to ICE,” said Gioia.
NBC Bay Area reached out to the sheriff’s department for comment before Tuesday’s forum but have yet to hear back.
Source: NBC Bay Area
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