photo credit: Sonoma County Sheriff's Office

Los Cien, Sonoma County’s largest Latino leadership organization, is calling on county officials to end all voluntary cooperation between the Sheriff’s Office and federal immigration authorities.

The group says rising national immigration enforcement is creating real fear locally, and county leaders need to draw a clear line.

In a Feb. 20 press release, Los Cien asked the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to adopt a non‑collaboration ordinance or formal resolution stating that Sonoma County will not exceed what state law requires regarding cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

“Inviting ICE to the community is not a good look,” Los Cien Executive Director Herman G. Hernandez said.

Hernandez said the organization chose to speak out because fear and anxiety in the community are eroding trust in local government and law enforcement, and that erosion has real consequences.

“The foundation of safety, is trust," Hernandez said. "I think what is at stake right now is that trust being divided.” 

He argued that without clear policy, residents remain confused about what information the county will or will not share with federal authorities.

“Without clear public standards and policies, fear and uncertainty are going to continue, and that fear undermines cooperation with law enforcement and weakens local trust and institutions,” Hernandez said.

California’s Values Act, which took effect in January 2018, already limits how much local law enforcement can assist federal immigration agents. Some cooperation is still optional, including notifying ICE when someone is being released from jail. That is the practice Los Cien wants the county to end.

According to data compiled under Sonoma County’s TRUTH Act requirements, ICE issued 484 release‑notification requests to the sheriff’s office. Only 64 met state standards, and 10 resulted in ICE arrests inside the jail.

Hernandez said even that small number has a big impact.

“It is a small amount of arrests, but the fear that is instilled from ICE coming into our community is far greater than inviting ICE into our community,” Hernandez  said.

He said Los Cien and its partners have seen that fear play out in daily life, with people avoiding public places, skipping school or work, and becoming less willing to report crimes.

County supervisors have largely maintained that passing an ordinance could put a target on Sonoma County. Hernandez said he understands the political pressure but believes clarity is necessary.

“I know this puts some of our supervisors in a position where they have to act with their values," Hernandez said. "They have to act with their moral leadership,” 

Supervisor Chris Coursey is the only board member to publicly shift his stance, calling earlier this year for an end to all voluntary communication between county law enforcement and ICE.

Hernandez stressed that Los Cien is not asking the board to control the independently elected sheriff or to declare Sonoma County a sanctuary county. Instead, he said supervisors should use their policymaking authority to set clear expectations.

“We know Sonoma County can uphold the law and protect community trust at the same time,” he said.

KRCB News continues to cover how fear of ICE affects trust in local law enforcement. Follow our immigration reporting under the Immigration News tab.