Border Report: County Leaders Push to Restrict Cooperation with Immigration Officials 

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will hold a preliminary vote Tuesday on an ordinance that seeks to restrict cooperation with federal immigration officials. 

The Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules Ordinance, or CLEAR ordinance, would restrict federal agents’ access to non-public areas of county property unless they have a judicial warrant and require the Sheriff to report within three business days when deputies respond to federal agents’ calls for assistance when the primary actions of those agents involve immigration enforcement. 

“Your rights don’t end when you walk into a county building, and this ordinance makes sure of that,” said Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, who proposed the ordinance. “San Diego is drawing a bright line — our public spaces are places you should find help, not handcuffs. Whether you’re bringing your child to a health clinic, applying for food assistance, or meeting with a public defender, you should never have to wonder if unidentified agents are lurking in the hallways.”

The ordinance also asks the county’s chief administrative officer to report on law enforcement task forces that the county participates in each fiscal year and to report “a summary of any known law enforcement activity by federal law enforcement agency personnel, out-of-state law enforcement personnel, or a private party acting under color of law enforcement authority involving any person for a protected personal characteristic or protected personal activity within the jurisdiction of the county.” 

Those protected characteristics include immigration status, disability status, and gender identity, and the ordinance names reproductive healthcare services as a protected activity. It’s not clear from the ordinance how the county will track immigration enforcement operations happening in its region.

Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe indicated she supports the ordinance.

“I’m supportive of taking any actions to protect the due process rights of our constituents from federal law enforcement actions,” she said.

None of the other supervisors’ offices responded to requests for comment. The Sheriff’s Department did not respond to a request for comment.

In October, the board voted to direct the chief administrative officer to write an ordinance based on one passed last year by the city of San Diego. The three Democrats on the board voted in favor while the two Republicans opposed.

The San Diego Police Department declined to comment on its experiences with that ordinance to date. The Mayor’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.

While these ordinances, like several California laws, limit local government interactions and cooperation with federal immigration officials, they do not stop those officials from making arrests in the San Diego area. 

Still, organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties have argued that these local laws help add some layer of protection to San Diegans who need to interact with their local governments. 

“This ordinance sends a clear message to all San Diegans: you deserve to feel safe in your county,” said Brisa Velazquez, an attorney with the local ACLU, in remarks posted online. “This ordinance furthers the county’s effort to ensure that county facilities are open to all people, so they can feel safe, welcome, and free of oppression.”

Members of the public can comment on the proposed ordinance on Tuesday. If it passes this initial reading, the supervisors will hear a second reading in late January and vote whether to adopt it. 

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In Other News

Protesting a killing: San Diegans gathered at several events following an ICE officer killing of a woman in Minneapolis, Alexandra Mendoza and Caleb Lunetta reported for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Detained father: NBC7’s Shelby Bremer profiled a Venezuelan man who has spent months separated from his family while in ICE custody. Officials detained him after he got home from work when he went outside to get the family dog.

Arrested surfer: For KPBS, Gustavo Solis reported that ICE arrested a surfer who accidentally ended up on the shores of Camp Pendleton.

Mexicali overspending: The Mexicali mayor said that the city overspent on a 2025 festival by about $7 million pesos, or roughly $390,000 dollars under current rates, Arath Castillo reported for Zeta Tijuana. The mayor said she will clarify where the money went in the coming days.

Too much cash: A Mexican legislator is facing questions after being caught crossing the Mexicali-Calexico border with more than $10,000 dollars in her car, the Punto Norte team reported.

More border traffic: Roadwork at the San Ysidro Port of Entry is causing lane closures on Interstate 5 south and could affect traffic for most of January, Mendoza reported for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Pope Francis Center: Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Logan Heights is opening a center to support immigrants affected by Trump administration policies, Solis reported for KPBS.

A giant rosca: Tijuana celebrated a 39-year-old tradition of sharing a giant rosca cake outside of its cultural center, Juan Miguel Hernández reported for Sol de Tijuana.

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