‘Enough is enough’: Mariposa County Sheriff wants to work with ICE?

MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The Mariposa County Sheriff is asking changes to be made to California Senate Bill 54, which would allow them to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Sheriff Jeremy Briese announced Wednesday.

In a social media post shared Wednesday, Sheriff Jeremy Briese called for a reexamination of SB54 since he says it “undermines my commitment to the community, as it limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.”

SB54, also known as the California Values Act, restricts local law enforcement from sharing information with ICE. Briese says the bill prevents federal agents from entering local jails.

“This law requires that my office and I knowingly release criminals back into our community,Regardless of your political views, SB54 is WRONG and needs to be changed. This is not about immigration…this is about being forced to knowingly release wanted criminals back into our communities. While these cases don’t happen every day in Mariposa County, they do occur. As an example of navigating this flawed legislation, our office recently arrested a registered sex offender, known to be wanted by immigration authorities, however, we were forced to release the individual back into our community.”
Sheriff Jeremy Briese

Wednesday’s statement is not the first time officials from the county oppose the bill. Briese says the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution taking a stance in opposition to SB54 in 2018, declaring that “Mariposa County does not constitute a sanctuary jurisdiction.”

“The current situation with SB54 is troubling to me personally and keeps me awake at night. ICE is the only law enforcement agency not allowed to enter our local jails due to this legislation. This places an undue burden on the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office staff by preventing the coordination necessary to keep our community safe,” said Briese.

Briese says allowing ICE to make contact with individuals already in the county’s jail system would not also be safer, but also more controlled than conducting ICE raids or attempting to track down criminals after being released -he says that way, these individuals are in a secure environment, their identities can be verified, appropriate action can be taken and the risk of dangerous public confrontations could be diminished.

“Together, we can ensure the safety of our communities by making sure law enforcement has the tools and resources necessary to protect all citizens effectively. Enough is enough,” said Briese.

Briese encouraged the public to call their representatives to express their concerns and advocate for changes to the law.