Residents tell Camarillo council they have lost trust in sheriff over ICE cooperation; call for oversight

During the public comment period on Oct. 7, multiple residents criticized Ventura County Sheriff statements about immigration‑related coordination with federal authorities and urged the city to seek greater oversight of the sheriff’s practices.

A resident identified as Blanca told the council she had previously heard Sheriff Freihoff say that the sheriff’s office does not coordinate with immigration authorities, and later quoted a sheriff comment that “the only person that can communicate with ICE related to anybody is people that are in my jail, and that is me.” She characterized the later remarks as contradictory and said the city — which contracts with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services — "can and should demand better."

Another speaker, Martha (surname as given in the record), described a Truth Act forum in which she said the sheriff acknowledged voluntary cooperation with ICE, including voluntary jail transfers and other assistance. Martha urged the council to support creation of a sheriff’s oversight board in Ventura County and to reconsider the city’s contract for public safety, asserting that 37% of Camarillo tax revenue goes to the county for sheriff services and that the city should seek greater local oversight.

Speakers framed their appeals as matters of trust, constitutional rights and local accountability. No member of the council committed to a policy change during the meeting; these remarks were lodged as public comment for the record.