Santa Cruz County’s immigrant population received an additional measure of protection Tuesday when the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance which, if adopted March 24, would prohibit federal immigration officials from using county property or facilities for immigration-related enforcement activities.
The proposed ordinance would bar federal agents from staging or processing civil immigration enforcement operations on county-owned or county-controlled property, including county buildings, parking lots and open spaces.
The policy would not block enforcement actions when agents have a judicial warrant or court order.
The ordinance was developed by the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. (Safeguarding Health, Inclusion, Essential Services and Local Defense) subcommittee, which also examined how federal immigration enforcement actions and potential federal budget changes could affect residents’ access to county services.
The subcommittee, composed of Supervisors Monica Martinez and Felipe Hernandez, was formed in January to review county policies and assess potential impacts on community stability and access to services.
Those impacts, Hernandez said, are “devastating to families.”
“It causes not only fear, but it halts the daily lives of our residents,” he said. “Children are afraid to go to school for fear that their parents might get detained or deported.”
Hernandez added that some families are making contingency plans for their children should they be detained.
“Residents should not have to live in fear while carrying out their basic needs,” he said. “Access to essential services like health care, schools, public services and food should be a right, yet many avoid medical care and even essential services because of fear.”
Martinez said the subcommittee—and its work—is not intended to replace volunteer response organizations such as Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR), the Santa Cruz County Immigration Coalition and the South County Triage Group.
The effort focuses on coordinating county resources and giving employees the information and tools they need to respond if federal immigration officials arrive at county facilities, she said.
“Civil immigration enforcement activities undermine community trust, spread fear and create barriers to accessing essential services,” Martinez said.
As part of its work, the subcommittee reviewed how county policies govern interactions with federal immigration enforcement. Six departments—the Sheriff’s Office, Probation Department, Public Defender’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Health Services Agency and Human Services Department—have updated their procedures for interacting with immigration authorities. Countywide staff training and guidance are being finalized.
The group also examined how information collected by the county could be accessed by federal officials.
In December, the board voted that county resources and data cannot be used to enforce laws targeting people based solely on immigration status unless required by federal law.
The county generally does not collect immigration status information unless legally required, officials said.
Health and Human Services Director Randy Morris warned that federal efforts to access personal data for enforcement purposes have intensified.
For decades, he said, the federal government has been prohibited from accessing Medi-Cal and CalFresh data that California collects for immigration-related purposes.
“The federal government has breached that firewall,” he said.
The subcommittee also reviewed data privacy concerns raised by residents.
Santa Cruz County does not operate automatic license plate reader cameras, though the Sheriff’s Office can access statewide data systems subject to state law restrictions. Supervisors have requested an audit of how that access is used.
Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah said his agency recently adopted a similar policy regarding its facilities.
“Your ordinance will strengthen our collective commitment to our community and ensure that the resources of our public institutions are not used in a way that creates fear, disrupts access or harms families,” he said. “Our residents should be able to seek education, health care, public services and support without fear.”
Community Bridges CEO Ray Cancino said immigrant-serving organizations are already seeing the impacts of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
“Across the country, we’re seeing deeply troubling trends,” he said. “For the first time in modern history, more immigrants are detained without a criminal record than those with one.”
And many are mistakenly arrested, he said.
Addressing those challenges will require coordinated action by local governments and community organizations, Cancino said.
“That requires states and counties like Santa Cruz County to think carefully about how we protect due process, civil rights and community stability while remaining within our legal authority,” he said.
County officials said the S.H.I.E.L.D. initiative is intended to help ensure residents can continue accessing services such as health care, public benefits and social services while maintaining compliance with state and federal law.
Officials have also been meeting with community groups, legal service providers, schools and health organizations to address concerns that fear of enforcement could discourage residents from seeking services.
County leaders are coordinating with cities and school districts, UC Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, Monterey County and other jurisdictions to align policies and maintain access to services.
Next steps include countywide training for employees on immigration-related encounters, development of a response plan for large enforcement operations and monitoring whether residents begin avoiding county services.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider final adoption of the ordinance March 24. The S.H.I.E.L.D. subcommittee is expected to report back to the board with additional updates by May 19.
