21 Jul Supervisors Holding Forum Tuesday to Discuss Cooperation With ICE

Federal agents remove a protester from in front of a vehicle containing local immigrants who had attended immigration hearings at the Concord Immigration Court on June 10. (Tony Hicks / Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will host a forum Tuesday on local immigration enforcement activities and concerns over local law enforcement sharing information with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The forum will look at the county’s adherence to the state’s Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act.

The TRUTH Act aims to increase transparency and accountability among federal and local law enforcement agencies. It’s meant to ensure local law enforcement agencies provide people in their custody with basic due rights should federal immigration authorities seek them.

Participants will also examine the county’s adherence to the California Values Act, which was signed into law in 2017. The law limits state and local resources from being used to carry out immigration detentions and deportations.

The annual forum has been held since 2017.

In recent months, ICE agents have detained immigrants at the federal immigration court in Concord. Agents have clashed with protesters, and U.S. Rep. Mark Desaulnier, D-Walnut Creek, has criticized the arrests and demanded a meeting with ICE’s interim director.

“The TRUTH Act forum is an important opportunity for community dialogue and trust,” said board chairperson Candace Andersen in a statement. “It gives our immigrant neighbors and those who are concerned about these issues the chance to ask questions, share concerns, and be part of a transparent conversation about how local law enforcement interacts with ICE.

“This forum is one way we show that every resident matters, and that Contra Costa County is committed to accountability and inclusion,” Andersen said.

The board will also hear the quarterly sheriff’s oversight report, including information on the sheriff’s office’s interactions with ICE.

The forum starts at 9:30 a.m. and can be seen at www.contracosta.ca.gov or on CCTV channels, DirecTV Channel 99, Comcast Channel 27, or Astound Channel 32. Send comments or questions to TRUTHAct@cob.cccounty.us. The board meets at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez.

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