'Danger to public safety': Why Fresno County officials want to work with ICE

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - The Sheriff of Fresno County wants changes made to California's sanctuary authorities law, SB54, truthful his bureau tin talk straight with national migration officials astir undocumented individuals who are wrong Fresno County Jail.

Sheriff John Zanoni and Supervisor Nathan Magsig posted a video to societal media connected Wednesday calling for changes to beryllium made to SB54, besides known arsenic The California Values Act. SB54, which has been successful effect since 2016, does not let instrumentality enforcement agencies to enactment with national U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"We recognize that immigrants and undocumented individuals supply invaluable services and they bash bully things successful our community," said Sheriff Zanoni. "But the criminals, we person to find a amended mode to grip this with the criminals due to the fact that these radical are a information to nationalist safety."

Zanoni says SB54 prevents ICE from having entree to the region jailhouse and section instrumentality enforcement erstwhile they person a idiosyncratic successful custody who is undocumented. Sheriff Zanoni says that a idiosyncratic has to beryllium released from custody earlier ICE tin interaction the idiosyncratic of involvement from their past known code connected record.

The California Values Act stops authorities and section instrumentality enforcement agencies, including schoolhouse constabulary and information departments, from utilizing wealth and unit to investigate, interrogate, and apprehension for migration enforcement purposes.

"When we're looking astatine this, criminals are the focus, not conscionable radical who are present illegally— due to the fact that that is simply a transgression but that's not our focus, that's not our occupation arsenic the Sheriff's Office," Zanoni said.

Supervisor Magsig says helium volition propulsion to betterment the California Values Act done authorities legislators.

"I deliberation much needs to beryllium done. I'm gonna beryllium reaching retired to the authorities legislature to spot if we could get a measure introduced that volition look to alteration SB54. I'm adjacent unfastened to getting progressive with a suit to situation SB54," Magsig said.

This telephone for alteration follows weeks of protests against ICE operations conducted successful the Central Valley. On Monday, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias and Fresno County Supervisor Luis Chavez announced the "Immigrant Affairs Working Group." The inaugural supports SB54 by alleviating the fearfulness of deportation and promoting resources to undocumented people.