Speakers from Chaparral and advocacy groups used the county’s public comment period on Dec. 9 to press commissioners for actions to protect community trust after a series of immigration enforcement actions. Ida Garcia, speaking on behalf of her husband and the Chaparral community, described heightened fear and anxiety and asked the county to designate community centers, libraries, schools and places of worship as "protected spaces" and to allocate trauma‑informed counseling resources for affected families.

Carlos Salmon, a district legislative aide for Representative Sarah Saldaña, told the board the representative’s office supports community requests and urged specific steps: clarify county staff guidance for when ICE appears on county property, post signage to prohibit ICE from entering employee‑only spaces, and prohibit use of county property as ICE staging areas.

Commissioners acknowledged limitations of county authority over federal immigration enforcement but agreed to pursue policy options and directed staff to return with legal analysis and a proposed work session in January to examine feasible protections for community spaces. Assistant County Manager Stephen Lopez said staff have begun reviewing best practices around the state and region and will present options tailored to county authority and resources.

The discussion included repeated calls from residents for mental health supports for families and clearer county rules on how staff should respond when federal officers are present on county sites. No formal policy was adopted the same day; commissioners said the issue would be further explored in January.