Discussion to focus on access provided to federal immigration authorities

(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – Santa Barbara County residents are invited to participate in a community forum about a California law called the TRUTH Act and the access local governments may provide to federal immigration authorities.  The meeting’s original scheduled date has been postponed by one-week for Board of Supervisors meeting agenda management.

The TRUTH Act Forum will take place during the Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at the County Administration Building Board Hearing Room at 105 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara. The public may participate virtually, or in person. Information on methods of Participation can be found online at the following website, | Santa Barbara County, CA – Official Website (civicplus.pro).

The TRUTH Act’s longer name is the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act. Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2792 into law on September 28, 2016. It pertains to the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency and its access to individuals who have come in contact with law enforcement. The TRUTH Act requires local governing bodies, in which local law enforcement has provided any ICE access to an individual, to hold a community forum to receive and consider public comment.

At the forum, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office plans to share data it maintains regarding the number and demographic characteristics of individuals to whom the agency has provided any ICE access, the date ICE access was provided, and whether the ICE access was provided through a hold, transfer, or notification request or through other means. Data may be provided in the form of statistics or, if statistics are not maintained, individual records, provided that personally identifiable information shall be redacted.

For the year 2023, ICE made inquiries or requests for access to 141 inmates. 108 of these inquiries did not qualify per SB54 as exceptions to the TRUST Act and, accordingly, no response was provided to ICE. The remaining 33 inmates qualified for notification per SB54 as exceptions to the TRUST Act, and responses were sent to ICE. Of these 33 inmates, only five were re-arrested by ICE officers after they were released from Sheriff’s Office custody.

In accordance with Government Code section 7283.1(d), notification of the forum was formerly provided to the public October 15, 2024, by a newspaper of general circulation adjudicated by the Santa Barbara Superior Court. Additionally, notification was provided via the Sheriff’s Office social media platforms as well as posted to the Sheriff’s Office web page.

Anyone interested in the matter is invited to speak in support or opposition. Written comments are also welcome and can be sent to: Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors, c/o Clerk of the Board, 105 East Anapamu Street, 4th Floor, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, or contact the Clerk of the Board at (805) 568-2240 for alternative options. Written comments can also be emailed to sbcob@countyofsb.org.

Set-Hearing Materials are available online now, County of Santa Barbara – File #: 24-01013 (legistar.com)

The posted Agenda for the December 17, 2024 meeting, Board Letter, and related documents for this item will be available on the Thursday prior to the hearing at https://santabarbara.legistar.com/calendar.aspx.

On-site Spanish translators will provide interpretation services for Spanish-only speaking individuals through headsets available for real-time interpretation of the TRUTH Act forum. Spanish translators will also be available to interpret public comments that may come in in-person or via Zoom.

Please contact the Clerk of the Board’s Office at (805) 568-2240 for general questions with the following:

• Participating in the meeting telephonically or electronically
• A disability-related modification or accommodation
• Any issues attempting to access the hearing telephonically or electronically Residents may watch the live stream of the Board meetings in the following ways:
• Televised in English and Spanish (SAP channel via Comcast and Cox) on local cable channel 20;
• Online at: https://www.countyofsb.org/1333/CSBTV-Livestream; and
• YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/CSBTV20 (Closed Captioning Available on YouTube)

Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisor meetings are available in Spanish. Watch live on our Spanish YouTube Channel, or Cable TV subscribers can access Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) in language settings.