The confusion and fear that has been prompted by the recent activities of ICE has led a number of our Santa Barbara residents to ask for a response. While a number of clarifying official statements have been issued by our administration and law enforcement, requests have been made for me to weigh in as Mayor as well.
Our laws and the rule of law must be upheld and enforced with clarity and consistency, and with respect to the civil rights of all. The men and women who wear the S.B. Police Department shield, to a person, take their oath and rigorous training regimen very seriously. The rules of conduct for our officers are strictly upheld and subject to civilian oversight.
The city, this City Council, and our Police Department do not aid or interfere with the actions of immigration enforcement personnel, nor are we empowered with the authority to enforce identification requirements upon ICE officers. Our officers would be subject to criminal and civil consequences as would any civilian individual if they interfered with federal law enforcement.
As we move through these troubling times, it is important that we remain mindful of the role and quality of the individuals in our city police force. Our officers are carefully selected and highly trained prior to deployment in our community. This training and hiring practice is essential to the safety of all and seems to be lacking in the current operations of ICE.
Our individual states and civic agencies must be allowed to maintain order in our own communities. We must return to the policy of federal enforcement assistance only on request or declared emergency. We’ve all grown weary of top-down governance and more is not desirable.
