The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to advance two policies on federal immigration enforcement proposed by Chair Terra Lawson-Remer — one setting guidelines on permitting federal authorities to enter county facilities, and the other dealing with people impersonating federal officers.
The first item calls for county staff to draft the Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules ordinance, which would clarify existing rules that "federal agents are prohibited from entering non-public areas of county facilities without a valid judicial warrant or court order," with signs posted in multiple languages.
It would also require that contractors, grantees and leaseholders uphold those protections. The ordinance would be modeled on similar ordinances being passed across the region and will return within 30 days for board consideration.
Lawson-Remer also asked colleagues to let county counsel tackle fake federal law enforcement credentials and "pursue cease-and-desist orders, and coordinate with state and federal regulators to stop companies that enable these impostors by profiting from fake law-enforcement gear."
Attorneys would return to the board in closed session on an ongoing basis every 90 days with updates and options, according to the board agenda.
Lawson-Remer, Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe and Supervisor Paloma Aguirre voted for both proposals, while their colleagues Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond were opposed.
In a recent newsletter, Lawson-Remer stated that across the United States, "people have begun posing as federal immigration officers and are showing up at homes, flashing fake badges and threatening residents for profit.