Immigration Status Irrelevant to RivCo Supervisors

Riverside County Supervisors Vote to Protect All Residents Despite Immigration Status

RIVERSIDE — Riverside County supervisors on Tuesday, Jan. 28, unanimously approved measures to protect immigrant residents despite opposition from the Sheriff’s Department and others who said they are concerned the board is trying to create a “sanctuary” county.

In a 4-0 vote Tuesday, with Supervisor Karen Spiegel absent, the Board of Supervisors approved measures Supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez introduced. Supervisors listened to more than three hours of public testimony from more than 70 peoeple before voting.

The supervisors maintain that the measures are designed to help those who may be negatively affected by President Donald Trump’s executive orders and promises to crack down on illegal immigration, include creating a web page with immigrant rights and resources that would also combat misinformation; requesting a report due in February that would examine data on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, participants and “law-abiding” undocumented immigrants; and seeking funding to support immigrants facing deportation proceedings, according to a county report.

“Everybody should be protected, especially those individuals who are here because they want a better future for themselves and their families,” board Chair Manuel Perez said. “They’re working hard every day, paying their taxes, giving back to society one way or another. There’s no language referring to this becoming a ‘sanctuary county.”‘

Sheriff Chad Bianco, who is attending the Major County Sheriffs of America Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., did not attend Tuesday’s meeting but Undersheriff Don Sharp told the board the department did not favor the measures.

Undersheriff Don Sharp, who made it clear he wasn’t speaking on Bianco’s behalf, said. “Simple fact is, we’re all on public safety and it doesn’t matter what the immigration of anybody is … ” He added constituents shouldn’t be afraid of uniforms.”

There are an estimated 132,000 undocumented residents in Riverside County, with 76% of them from Mexico, according to the Migration Policy Institute.