For far too long, we have witnessed the devastating impacts of aggressive federal immigration enforcement—led by ICE—intensify across Santa Barbara County. We have heard directly from residents, families, educators, and business owners about the fear, disruption, trauma and instability these operations are causing.
Parents are afraid to take their children to school. Workers are avoiding public spaces. Businesses are losing customers. People are forgoing medical appointments. Entire neighborhoods are living with a level of anxiety that no community should have to endure.
This is not about partisanship. It is about standing up for our community. It is about ensuring that public spaces remain safe, that our elections remain free, and that local voices matter.
Let’s be clear: however one may feel about the broader national debate on immigration policies, the way these enforcement actions are being carried out is harming our community and making us less safe. And as local elected leaders, we have a responsibility to respond.
That is why we are proposing a three-part policy in direct response to ongoing ICE operations in and around our county. Our approach is grounded in three core responsibilities: protecting the use of county property from federal immigration enforcement, safeguarding our elections, and maintaining local control over land-use decisions that may involve the future building of detention centers.
First, we are proposing to prohibit the unauthorized use of county-owned property for federal immigration enforcement activities—including using public spaces as staging areas, processing locations, or operational bases—except in cases involving judicial warrants or the enforcement of criminal law. We have seen reports of ICE agents using public spaces, including the campus of Santa Barbara City College, to stage enforcement actions without notice.
This is unacceptable. Public institutions—our colleges, our service centers, our parking lots, our community spaces—should not be used as launch points for operations that sow fear and chaos. When ICE uses familiar public places in this way, it is intended to send a chilling message: that nowhere is safe. That is not a message we are willing to allow. We have jurisdiction over county property.
Second, we are taking action to safeguard the integrity of our elections and protect ballots once they are cast. In today’s political climate, we cannot ignore the dangerous intersection between immigration enforcement and voting rights. Baseless claims about undocumented voting, combined with threats to “take over” elections, have created real concern that federal enforcement could be used—intentionally or not—as a tool of voter intimidation.
Elections are run by our county, and our county alone. That means we need to double down on the communications necessary for our voters to feel assured that their voices are heard.
Every voter deserves to cast a ballot without fear. Our proposal strengthens poll monitoring, expands civic participation, and ensures that clear “Know Your Rights” voter information is widely available. Protecting the right to vote means more than securing ballots—it means ensuring people feel safe enough to show up in the first place.
Finally, we are directing the County to evaluate its authority—within the law—to prohibit the siting, expansion, or operation of immigration detention or enforcement facilities in unincorporated Santa Barbara County. With increased federal funding flowing to ICE and a renewed push to expand detention capacity, communities just like ours are facing proposals for new or expanded facilities.
We believe Santa Barbara County should not become a hub for a system that has too often operated without transparency, accountability, or regard for local impact. If such proposals arise, our community deserves a voice—and we intend to ensure that voice is heard.
Taken together, these actions reflect a clear principle: we will not allow federal immigration enforcement to operate unchecked in ways that harm our residents, undermine our democracy, or bypass local decision-making Santa Barbara County is strongest when people feel secure, included, and able to participate fully in civic life. Tragically that is no longer the case for a significant portion of our community. So we must do all we can to protect our constitutional rights and the fabric of our society. We believe those are goals worth standing up for.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will discuss this policy at their Tuesday, April 21 hearing.
