Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman waded right into a little bit of controversy this yr when he overtly stated he would buck a California legislation that limits cooperation between native and federal authorities.
Citing his obligation to implement public security in his rural county positioned 135 miles east of San Francisco, Redman stays the one sheriff within the state who has pledged to defy California’s 2017 sanctuary state legislation, also called the California Values Act, or SB 54.
Extra particularly, Redman stated he’ll contact US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when he’s conscious that an individual in native custody is within the nation illegally and poses a critical public security menace.
“It’s almost [like] we’re going to re-victimize the victim again. That’s what I see with this law,” Redman informed Fox Information Digital. “How can you tell me that I have to let somebody who is here illegally in the country … and put them back into society when they’ve committed a heinous crime?”
“You’re making me make that choice. Well, I’m just not willing to do it because I got elected to be the sheriff of Amador County, where public safety is my No. 1 priority,” he added.
The vow goes towards SB 54, which permits native authorities to contact ICE solely when an unlawful immigrant is convicted of sure offenses and is about to be launched from custody.
State lawmakers handed the legislation in the course of the first Trump administration in an effort to make sure that native legislation enforcement will not be used to help immigration officers.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), varied immigrant rights teams, the Amador County and statewide Republican and Democratic events, and the governor’s workplace for touch upon the matter.
“I worked in the justice system for years and saw how weak laws put the public in danger,” California Republican Get together Chair Corrin Rankin informed Fox Information Digital. “What we’re hearing from Sheriff Redman is what many in law enforcement have been saying for a long time: California’s sanctuary state law makes it harder to stop violent criminals.”
“Democrats in Sacramento passed these laws knowing they tie the hands of sheriffs and police. When local officials see a threat, they should be able to act,” Rankin added.
Round 6% of Amador County’s 42,000 residents are foreign-born, in accordance with US Census information.
Regardless of the low determine, Asian gangs with unlawful immigrants have arrange marijuana-growing operations within the space, Redman stated.
“That’s what we dealt with over the last 10 years,” Redman stated.
The sheriff introduced his stance on the sanctuary state legislation in a February information launch posted to the Amador County Sheriff’s Workplace Fb web page in response to persistent questions from residents about how his workplace would deal with immigration-related issues throughout President Donald Trump’s second time period.
Whereas different sheriffs throughout the state have stated they may work round SB 54, Redman’s announcement is totally different in that he makes it clear that he is aware of he’ll violate state legislation. That has put him within the crosshairs of the California Lawyer Normal’s Workplace.
California Lawyer Normal Rob Bonta has pledged to guard immigrant communities up and down the state by upholding SB 54, regardless of detractors mentioning that it permits legal unlawful immigrants to stroll the streets and probably reoffend, generally violently.
In an e mail to Fox Information Digital, Bonta’s workplace famous that federal courts have dominated that the state sanctuary legislation doesn’t battle with federal legislation.
“The Attorney General is committed to protecting and ensuring the rights of California’s immigrant communities and upholding vital laws like SB 54, which ensure that state and local resources go toward fighting crime in California communities, not toward federal immigration enforcement,” the e-mail states.
“Federal courts have upheld SB 54 and have found it to not be in conflict with federal law (the Ninth Circuit’s 2019 opinion is attached for reference),” his workplace stated. “We are closely monitoring law enforcement compliance with SB 54.”
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., who not too long ago launched federal laws that may allow native authorities that want to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement to take action no matter any state legislation, cited the case of David Mora, 39, who overstayed his visa after getting into California in 2018 from Mexico.
In 2022, ICE requested to be notified upon Mora’s launch from jail after his arrest for assaulting a California Freeway Patrol officer. The Merced County Sheriff’s Workplace had Mora in custody and obtained a request from ICE to detain him, however Mora was launched due to the sanctuary legislation, the sheriff’s workplace stated.
He then killed his three daughters inside a Sacramento church in addition to a chaperone who was supervising his go to with the kids, earlier than taking his personal life.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if I was able to cooperate with ICE, this tragedy could have been avoided,” Merced County Sheriff Vernon H. Warnke stated in a assertion on the time. “Under current law, nationwide law enforcement’s hands are tied with policies that have a significant impact on our communities and their quality of life.”
“The sanctuary law is utterly indefensible,” Kiley informed Fox Information Digital. “It has led to many, many tragedies across the state. It’s one of the reasons California has had the very worst illegal immigration problem during the Biden administration.”
He added the legislation was “legally dubious” in that it seeks to violate federal legislation.
Redman, who grew up in progressive Los Angeles County, stated he partially got here out publicly along with his stance on the sanctuary legislation due to the Trump administration and its willingness to defend native officers who work with ICE.
“I’ve always felt this way, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to say this under the Biden administration,” Redman stated. “I didn’t trust the attorney general at the time. I didn’t trust the Biden administration as far as coming after me. Absolutely, I don’t think that’s going to happen under the Trump administration.”
Amongst California sheriffs, Redman, who considers himself a reasonable Republican, stands alone.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who’s operating to grow to be California’s subsequent governor, has advocated for abolishing sanctuary state insurance policies and requiring native legislation enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Along with Redman, two California cities, Huntington Seaside and Oroville, have defiantly declared themselves non-sanctuary cities. In Amador County, practically 49% of voters are registered Republicans, dwarfing the 27% who align with Democrats, in accordance with the California Secretary of State’s workplace.
That could possibly be a cause why a Change.org petition calling for Redman to be eliminated has solely obtained 53 signatures since March 1.
“I’m friends with a lot of progressives here in Amador County, and what they’ve always found is I’m reasonable and I’m willing to listen,” Redman stated. “My Democratic friends have come out and said, ‘We support you, Gary. This is common sense. We’re tired of California and the way California’s going where they continue to elevate criminals.’”
