As the Trump administration continues an aggressive nationwide immigration crackdown, San Mateo County is moving to sharply limit local cooperation with federal authorities, adding new restrictions and public oversight.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance on first reading Tuesday that will update a 2023 county policy that restricts cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It will take effect 30 days after final approval on second reading.
Once formally approved, the changes will prevent federal immigration agents from using the county’s Coyote Point Park firing range without a judicial warrant and prohibit the use of any county property as a staging area for enforcement operations.
For the first time, it also will require the sheriff and chief probation officer to submit quarterly public reports on all communications with federal immigration agencies, including detentions, raids and surveillance activity.
Supervisor Noelia Corzo, who co-sponsored the ordinance with Supervisor Ray Mueller, said it “strengthens and clarifies” the county’s policies on ICE non-cooperation. Mueller added that it “increases transparency, reinforces accountability, and ensures residents feel safe accessing county services.”
The ordinance also creates a local counterpart to a state law, set to take effect in January, that restricts face coverings by sheriff’s deputies. It limits when officers can cover their faces and requires clearer identification so the public can easily recognize them. The changes come amid concerns about federal agents carrying out arrests while masked and unidentifiable, as well as a recent FBI warning about individuals impersonating ICE agents to commit crimes.
The Trump administration has sued California over the state law, arguing it puts federal officers at risk. Administration officials have also said they do not intend to comply with the new requirements, according to the Associated Press.
The county ordinance does not authorize the local sheriff’s office to enforce the state’s anti-masking law against federal agents.
Cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, N.C., have already seen sharp increases in federal immigration enforcement activity. While San Mateo County may not be on his immediate radar, President Donald Trump threatened a federal “surge” into neighboring San Francisco last month before backing off following conversations with tech executives and Mayor Daniel Lurie.
Still, ICE enforcement activity continues to be reported in San Mateo County.
County data from October shows 16 detentions following ICE check-ins — individuals taken into custody after reporting for mandatory appointments — along with four targeted street arrests, two arrests at immigration court and two other immigration-related arrests. Between September and October, the county recorded a total of 45 immigration-related detentions.
Rita Mancera, executive director of Puente in Pescadero, a nonprofit serving immigrant communities on the coast, helped craft the ordinance alongside the San Mateo County Coalition for Immigrant Rights and county staff.
She said fear remains high in the immigrant community.
“I hear from people missing medical appointments, avoiding the grocery store, or even skipping visits to see a sick parent in the hospital,” Mancera said. “Some families are sending U.S. citizen relatives to handle errands or drop off college students because they’re too afraid to go themselves. The community is not trusting the justice system.”
In August, 47-year-old housekeeper Aleyda “Yeny” Rodriguez, who has a chronic health condition, was taken into custody by ICE agents in East Palo Alto and fainted during the arrest in front of her brother-in-law’s home.
Rodriguez is among thousands of residents in the county facing similar threats.
Roughly 35% of San Mateo County’s 743,000 residents are immigrants, according to local government data. The Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute estimates that about 56,000 county residents lack legal residency, most originally from Mexico, followed by El Salvador, Guatemala and the Philippines. Many live in the Peninsula’s coastal communities, East Palo Alto and unincorporated North Fair Oaks.
Responding to some public comments that the ordinance could affect anti-crime efforts, Corzo clarified that it focuses specifically on immigration enforcement.
“Perpetrators of crime are not just immigrants,” Corzo said on Tuesday. “Data shows time and time again that the immigrant community is statistically less likely to engage in crime. Survivors are worthy of support, and justice should be available to everyone equally.”
In a text to this news organization, she added, “By passing this ordinance today, we are sending a clear and unwavering message that San Mateo County stands strongly with our immigrant community, and that we are ready to protect and support every member of our community.”
In June, the county approved $1.75 million in additional legal aid for residents facing possible deportation. Beyond its commitment to non-cooperation with ICE, San Mateo County partners with the Bay Area nonprofit Faith in Action on a rapid-response network that tracks ICE activity, accompanies residents to check-ins or court hearings, and assists with certain legal paperwork.
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