The County of Sonoma is reiterating its commitment to all who are in need of services, especially immigrant communities, and providing guidance and support for County staff after an individual was detained Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the lobby of the County Probation Department.
At approximately 2 p.m., a plain-clothed agent working with ICE entered the lobby of the Probation Department Adult Division at 600 Administration Drive in Santa Rosa and placed handcuffs on an individual who had just been released from the Main Adult Detention Facility and was reporting to Probation per a court order. The agent, who did not identify themselves to staff, left with the individual in a white van with federal license plates.
“This detention was unexpected by our staff and likely very unsettling for others in our lobby who witnessed it. The agent did not identify himself, though it appears that he had insignia around his neck, and it wasn’t immediately clear what was happening at the time,” said Chief Probation Officer Vanessa Fuchs. “We want to make clear that Probation was not involved in coordinating this incident in any way. Probation is focused on public safety and the rehabilitation of clients. Our mission is to protect the community as a whole.”
In an email to her staff on Friday, Fuchs said she was reviewing internal processes to identify “whether there are any adjustments we can make moving forward.”
“The fact that this arrest took place in the lobby of the County Probation Department by a plain-clothed officer is disruptive to public services,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “It sends the wrong message to members of our community who deserve access to County services — especially clients who must trust the Probation Department and visit in order to comply with terms of their probation.”
Hopkins said the incident could impact the public’s perception of County staff “who work hard every day to develop and maintain trust” with their clients and the community. “While we will not interfere with lawful arrests, we will work with all County departments to ensure immigrant communities feel safe accessing County services, and that their rights are upheld.”
After review by multiple County departments, it appears that the incident with ICE was in compliance with SB54, the California Values Act, which prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from using their resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, or arrest individuals for immigration enforcement purposes.
In light of this incident, the County is providing staff with resources and information about what to do when ICE agents show up in County public spaces. Thursday’s incident is the only known ICE incident to take place in a County department lobby.
For a complete list of community resources available for assistance, go to Sonoma County’s Support for Immigrant Communities website.
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