Faced with the dilemma of conflicting state and federal mandates, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said he will adhere to newly enacted state law requiring that law enforcement agencies not honor federal immigration detainers placed on inmates at county jails.
In doing so, Jones is bucking federal law and overturning a practice long held at the Sacramento County Main Jail. But Jones said he made the decision in part to build trust among communities whose members might otherwise fear that by calling the Sheriff’s Department, they could risk deportation.
“My concern is not with the enforcement of federal immigration law, I have little interest in doing so,” Jones told reporters Thursday. “My greater concern as sheriff of Sacramento County is ensuring victims of crime and people (who need help) ... have the ability without fear to call the Sheriff’s Department and get a response.”