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Goleta sheriff lieutenant tells council local deputies won’t carry out immigration enforcement under California law
Summary
Lieutenant Frank Vasquez of the county sheriff’s office told the Goleta City Council that deputies do not enforce federal immigration law, in line with California’s SB 54 "Values Act," and outlined limited circumstances when immigration authorities may access county facilities.
Lieutenant Frank Vasquez of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office told the Goleta City Council on a February evening that local deputies do not investigate or enforce federal immigration law and will not hold or transfer people to immigration authorities except under narrow, law-defined circumstances.
The presentation came at the request of the council after recent public concern about sightings of federal immigration agents in Goleta. Vasquez described the sheriff’s office approach as focused on community safety and on encouraging people to report crimes without fear of immigration enforcement.
Vasquez said the sheriff’s office policy aligns with California Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act, and listed practices the department follows: deputies will not ask people about immigration status; the sheriff’s office does not contract with federal authorities to detain people for immigration reasons; federal immigration agents must check in and be escorted when they visit county jail facilities; and the jail will transfer a person to immigration authorities only when authorized by a judicial warrant or when a qualifying criminal conviction makes transfer allowable under state law.
“The sheriff’s office will not provide information regarding an individual's release date or respond to requests for notification unless that information is public or it meets the qualifying conviction standards under SB 54,” Vasquez said.
Council members asked for clarification on historical practice and on whether federal agents had office space at the jail in earlier years. Vasquez said ICE had previously maintained an office at the main jail but that that arrangement ended before his 20-year tenure. He described limited circumstances when federal agents might conduct an official interview in a designated professional visitor area in the jail and said such visits are evaluated through the jail chain of command.
Council members asked staff to make information available to residents, including “know your rights” materials, and discussed distributing hard copies at City Hall, the library and the community center and posting a recorded clip of the presentation on the city website and Channel 19.
The sheriff’s lieutenant encouraged residents to report crimes and to feel safe contacting local law enforcement. City staff and council members said they would work on public materials and broadcast options for Spanish-speaking residents.
Ending: Vasquez told the council the sheriff’s office wants everyone to feel safe engaging with deputies and emphasized the department’s legal limits under SB 54. Council members thanked him and asked staff to expand public outreach and translation resources for residents.
