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Residents press Camarillo council over ICE operations; sheriff says federal actions complicate local trust-building
Summary
Public commenters urged the council to adopt protections after recent ICE operations; Ventura County Sheriff said federal immigration enforcement practices are straining community trust and local policing but that local agencies follow California law on detainers and judicial warrants.
Several residents at Wednesday’s Camarillo City Council meeting urged local leaders to protect immigrant families and create a city-level response after recent immigration enforcement actions in the region. Speakers described raids, damaged property and continuing fear among neighbors; some asked the council to form an immigration stakeholders committee.
“Right now in communities across our country and here in our own backyard, families are terrified,” Blanca Ortega told the council, reading a passage she attributed to historical parallels. Claudia, a resident, said, “It’s been a hundred and 4 days since the largest raid and attack against our community that took place on July 10 and the fear and trauma from that day have not gone away.” Joseph Dobinski Jr. told the council he had shared concerns previously and asked for a local stakeholder process similar to one in Oxnard.
The council invited Ventura County Sheriff Fryhoff to respond. Sheriff Fryhoff said he has discussed field practices with federal counterparts and described a tension between local trust-oriented policing and federal immigration enforcement. “We intentionally don't want to be involved in immigration enforcement for the simple fact that when people call 911, they need to know help is coming,” Fryhoff said. He added that the county does not honor ICE detainers that are not signed by a judge and that the department will comply with judicial warrants.
Fryhoff acknowledged that federal tactics can cause fear and erode trust: “...the federal, our federal partners are not building community. And the matter which they are conducting their operations is creating a significant amount of distrust between local law enforcement and our community.” He urged residents to raise concerns with federal representatives and said litigation and court rulings may be forthcoming to clarify federal standards for stops and searches.
Public commenters also cited specific incidents in Oxnard in which they said ICE agents damaged property or used aggressive tactics. David Gilbertson, who spoke in support of local nonprofit food and legal services, suggested regional coordination among cities to ensure measurable policing-contract outcomes and to protect community trust.
Council members acknowledged residents’ concerns and said the topic will be discussed further at public-safety committee meetings and in ongoing outreach. The council did not adopt a formal policy at Wednesday’s meeting.
