San Joaquin sheriff, Stockton police won't enforce federal illegal immigration crackdown
STOCKTON — Following his inauguration, President Donald Trump quickly moved to sign a flurry of executive orders that included a sweeping crackdown on immigration and reshaping border policies.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow and the Stockton Police Department each announced they are following California law and would not help Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in raids unless it's for criminal immigrants in their jurisdictions.
These local agencies said they want community members, especially undocumented immigrants, not to worry if they haven't done anything wrong. San Joaquin County is home to roughly 55,000 undocumented immigrants.
"We've been receiving a lot of questions and a lot of anxiety in certain parts of our community, in the immigrant community," Withrow said.
Withrow addressed the community in a mid-January video posted to Facebook to squash any fear among undocumented immigrants in the county.
"This isn't going to change the way we do business," the sheriff said in the video. "Whether you're documented or undocumented, we care about good people in our community. We're going to go after bad people."
Former San Joaquin County GOP Chair Pastor Dwight Williams believes Mr. Trump is going forward on his promises, but he acknowledged how actions like the ones taken by the sheriff's office and Stockton police can hinder the Trump administration's early efforts.
"Hopefully, at the end of the day, local law enforcement will wind up working with the trump administration. We are supposed to be on the same page going after the criminals," Pastor Williams said.
Paul Sanchez, a San Joaquin County native, likes the idea of stopping criminals but doesn't think local police and sheriff have the manpower to help federal agencies.
"They get paid a lot of money. They don't have time to be locking up. They don't have room for the little man," Sanchez. "But if it's a big-time drug dealer, then they should. You're messing up people's lives."
Stockton police went as far as saying, "We take pride in our approach to not enforcing immigration laws."
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi shared similar sentiments saying:
"I want to reaffirm our city's unwavering commitment to enforcing California state laws fairly and impartially, regardless of immigration status. Stockton is a community that prioritizes safety, justice, and the well-being of all its residents.While the California Values Act (Senate Bill 54), signed into law by the California legislature and the Governor, prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from using resources to enforce federal immigration laws, Stockton remains steadfast in upholding all other state laws to protect the safety and well-being of our community."