MoCo Supervisors respond to concerns about ICE at county jail

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors is addressing concerns some groups have regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents working out of the Monterey County Jail. On Tuesday, the Board approved a letter to members of the Immigration Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Board said its authority over Monterey County Sheriff Steve Bernal is limited, reading in part:

“In enforcing law, the Sheriff is acting as a peace officer of the state and is under the direct supervision of the attorney general.”

On August 14, Sheriff Bernal had started a pilot program based on PEP (Priority Enforcement Program). Inmates with certain convictions and in the United States illegally would be identified by ICE. Since the pilot program began, more than 120 inmates have been detained by ICE.

The Immigration Coalition and the ACLU believe an inmate’s right to due process is being eliminated and have asked the Sheriff to stop the program.