Contra Costa Truth Act forum spotlights ICE notifications; sheriff defends narrow policy

Contra Costa County supervisors held a Truth Act community forum on July 22 where immigrant-rights advocates called on county officials to stop voluntarily providing release-notification information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The sheriff told the board his office follows state law and provides notification only in narrow cases tied to serious or violent felony convictions.

The forum brought presentations from county staff and outside advocates, followed by more than two hours of public comment. Anid Mendoza of the county administrator’s office outlined the Truth Act’s requirements under Government Code section 7283.1 and said the county had asked agency heads to certify whether they provided ICE access in 2024. Mendoza said only the sheriff’s office reported such access for that year.

Veil Tanecora, a staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, urged the board to stop any voluntary cooperation with ICE. “Continuing to collaborate with ICE, Contra Costa is setting itself up for legal liability,” Tanecora told supervisors, arguing that cooperation chills reporting of crimes and separates families.

Sheriff David Livingston described the…