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Hours of public comment urge Marin supervisors to stop sheriff's cooperation with ICE and withdraw from SCA P; board does not take immediate action
Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Marin County Board of Supervisors to direct the sheriff to halt cooperation with ICE and end participation in the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCA P). Speakers cited civil-rights concerns, local impacts and alleged SCA P reimbursements; the board invited further review but did not adopt immediate directives during the meeting.
During a lengthy open time for public expression on Jan. 20, dozens of Marin County residents called on the Board of Supervisors to end the sheriff's cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and to withdraw from the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCA P).
Speakers from a range of community groups described perceived harms stemming from local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, raised the SCA P reimbursement practice, and repeatedly asked the board to place the matter on a future agenda. "I ask the Marin County Sheriff's Office to stop all cooperation with ICE and say no to ICE bounties," said Madeline Silva, a resident and immigrant-rights advocate who spoke during the meeting.
Several speakers cited budget figures during comments. A public speaker identified as Joe Carson said, "Over the past 3 years, Marin County has received more than $1,200,000 for jailing over 1,000 immigrants," and urged the board to withdraw from SCA P. Other speakers described harms to mental health, community trust, and public safety if local law enforcement shares detainee information with ICE.
Multiple speakers asked the board to schedule an item for formal consideration and to require the sheriff to report on the nature and extent of information sharing and SCA P reimbursements. Some callers also requested the board publicly take a stance and explore budgetary steps to remove any financial incentive for cooperation.
Board members thanked speakers and acknowledged the depth of feeling in the room. The board did not take an immediate vote or directive on the sheriff's cooperation during the meeting; some supervisors indicated they would consider next steps, including putting the matter on a future agenda or working with existing oversight structures. The transcript records repeated requests from members of the public for action and for the board to place this issue on a future agenda.
The meeting included additional public comments on related topics (housing, homelessness, flood impacts) and a pledge from speakers to continue advocacy at future meetings.
What the board can expect next: multiple speakers explicitly asked for a formal agenda item and for the sheriff to present details of SCA P participation and data sharing practices; several supervisors indicated staff would follow up but no formal deadline was set during the meeting.
