Following San Diego's lead, county advances plan for tougher limits on where immigration agents are allowed

Alexandra Mendoza, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Oct 21, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will consider an ordinance that would set firmer county guidelines on federal agents’ access to county property, modeled after those just approved by the city of San Diego.

Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal to draft such guidance passed Tuesday on a 3-2 vote, with fellow Democrats Paloma Aguirre and Monica Montgomery Steppe in favor and Republicans Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond in opposition.

The proposed Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules, or CLEAR ordinance, will be written by county staff based on one the San Diego City Council unanimously approved Monday. The proposed law will be brought back to the board for consideration and adoption within 30 days.

The ordinance would aim to clarify existing rules — including a requirement that federal agents obtain a judicial warrant to access nonpublic areas of county facilities — and require they be enforced by county contractors, grantees and leaseholders.

Multilingual signage would also be posted at county facilities to ensure members of the public know their rights.

“Your rights don’t end when you walk into a county building, and this ordinance makes sure of that,” Lawson-Remer said in a statement after the vote.

“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.”

Desmond said he considered the increase in immigration raids a response to laws already restricting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies. “If our law enforcement agencies could work together, ICE wouldn’t have to go into neighborhoods and other areas,” he said.

“We in the county do not need to clarify federal law,” he added. “We need cooperation and coordination between our law enforcement agencies to make sure the people that are criminals get out and the other ones are allowed to stay.”

The city ordinance builds upon other state laws, including the California Values Act.

Under that 2017 state law, local law enforcement agencies are restricted from cooperating with federal immigration agencies, except in cases that involves people who have been convicted of certain crimes.

Late last year, the county board passed a resolution barring the use of local resources to assist immigration enforcement agents.

Lawson-Remer noted in a board letter before Tuesday’s vote that although federal agents already must obtain a judicial warrant or court order to enter nonpublic areas, “too often the public does not know their rights.”

“Agents may enter under the color of authority, and staff or residents may feel pressured to allow access they are not legally required to give,” she said. “The result is confusion, intimidation and a climate of fear that keeps people from seeking the help they need. But confusion and fear are not inevitable; they persist because the rules aren’t consistently clear or enforced.”

The board’s vote is part of a broader regional effort by elected leaders to protect immigrant communities in response to increased immigration enforcement operations.

Similar proposals have already been voted on by cities such as Oceanside, in addition to San Diego. Elected officials in other cities, such as Chula Vista, have said that they plan to do the same.

The Board of Supervisors also voted Tuesday on a separate proposal to explore options for cracking down on the sale of counterfeit law enforcement gear, like clothing or badges, intended for the purpose of impersonating agents.

Officials cited a recent CNN investigation that found a growing number of people impersonating U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to intimidate immigrants or commit crimes.

The proposal also seeks to draft a letter of support for a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, known as the VISIBLE Act, that would require immigration agents to clearly display ID and bar them from covering their faces during enforcement operations.

Lawson-Remer’s proposal passed 3-2 on the same party-line split.

“These impersonators are criminals,” said Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. “They prey on the most vulnerable; they exploit immigration fears and erode faith in legitimate law enforcement from our local agencies. Immigrant families deserve to feel safe, seeking services, reporting crimes or just walking down the street.”

Desmond said that while he supports prosecuting anyone impersonating a law enforcement officer to the fullest extent of the law, he could not back the part of the proposal that included support for the Senate bill.

_____