Sheriff reports zero ICE transfers, 33 detainers in 2024; Board receives annual Measure K/SB 54 report

Sheriff William Hansel and Captain Christian, the jail commander, told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 4 that the sheriff’s office complied with local Measure K and state law (SB 54) in 2024 and that ICE did not receive release dates or transfers from the county jail.

The report matters because it documents how the county handled ICE immigration detainer requests and confirms whether jail processing and county practices complied with state and local restrictions. The sheriff’s office said its policy is not to ask about or track immigration status during field contacts or booking, and that the jail does not honor ICE administrative detainers at face value.

Sheriff Hansel and Captain Christian walked supervisors through 2024 figures: the jail booked roughly 6,500 people last year; 33 administrative detainers were sent by ICE after fingerprints were checked, but the department honored none of those detainers. Of the 33, 16 detainers arrived after the individuals had already been released. Only four people matched qualifying convictions listed in state law that could make them eligible for transfer to ICE, but the sheriff’s office said none were transferred to ICE in 2024. Captain Christian said one person who had been turned over to ICE in recent years had been the subject of a federal judge-signed warrant rather than an administrative detainer.

The sheriff’s staff described the standard process for detainers and interviews: when an administrative detainer is received, the person in custody gets a copy and a form explaining that the interview or cooperation with ICE is voluntary and that they may refuse; the jail provides a form in other languages on request. Captain Christian said the jail provided zero ICE interview requests and zero release dates to ICE in 2024. He also summarized the statutory limits under the California Values Act and local Measure K: county personnel may not use county resources to investigate, detain or arrest people for civil immigration enforcement, and release decisions are governed by local policy and state law.

Supervisors and public commenters asked how the department documents and responds to alleged false reports and concerns about profiling. The sheriff said false reporting can be a misdemeanor and that the agency uses RIPA (Racial and Identity Profiling Act) data collection for stops; the jail also documents qualifying convictions and provides evidence supporting compliance. Several community organizations — including Centro del Pueblo, the Human Rights Commission, English Express and the League of Women Voters — urged continued transparency and outreach and asked for increased distribution of “know your rights” materials and multilingual communications. Members of the public asked the sheriff to work with community groups on outreach and to clarify the penalty for civil or administrative violations of Measure K.

After public comment, a supervisor moved that the board receive and file the sheriff’s annual report on immigration enforcement access and Measure K/SB 54 compliance. The Board voted 5–0 to receive and file the report.

The sheriff’s presentation and the public discussion left recordings and documents the county can use to update outreach and translation plans; the sheriff’s office and community groups said they will continue to coordinate on “know your rights” materials and hotline information.