In a 3-2 vote, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to end contracts that allow federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, to use county facilities for firearms training.
"The license agreements between San Diego County and the federal Department of Homeland Security/ICE for the use of the San Diego Regional Firearm Training Center and Miramar Firearm Training Center will end 10 days after the federal government receives notice from the County," a news release said.
The county came to a 10-year agreement with ICE back in 2021. A similar contract was approved for CBP back in 2017. Because the contracts fell below the dollar threshold requiring board approval, the contracts were executed administratively. The board did not discuss it, and there was no public deliberation. According to the board, both ICE and CBP have logged 3,350 hours since 2024.
Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Supervisor Paloma Aguirre are behind the proposal, saying the agreements don't align with current county policies, including the Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules (CLEAR) ordinance. The ordinance restricts federal law enforcement access to county facilities without a warrant.
"Our local public facilities should serve our residents, not support federal immigration operations that disregard and trample upon due process and the rule of law," Lawson-Remer said. "We cannot protect due process and community trust on one hand and provide a county training ground for Trump's deportation goons on the other".
According to data provided by Congressman Mike Levin, ICE has removed more than 16,000 people from San Diego County in 16 months. The agency did not disclose how many of those removed had criminal records.
ICE has come under intense scrutiny for its enforcement tactics. The board letter states there have been at least 41 shooting incidents and 11 fatalities involving federal immigration agents since the start of the second Trump administration.
District 5 County Supervisor Jim Desmond is against the proposal, saying this decision to repeal the contracts and restrict access to training facilities is only going to make San Diego less safe.
"Whether you like what ICE is doing or not, or the way they've been carrying it out, I think we all agree more training is, is key," Desmond said. "That's what's going to fix things and make them better."
Meanwhile, San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced that she notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they will no longer have access to the Sheriff's facilities for training and firearms qualifications.
"Community trust and strong relationships are the cornerstone of effective local policing," Martinez said. "Our authority to enforce the law depends on the trust and confidence of the communities we serve, and I always balance my decisions based on community trust and public safety."
The Sheriff's Office is not, however, eliminating CBP's use of the Otay Range.
"While ICE serves a primary mission of enforcing federal immigration law, CBP's mission is to protect the American people, safeguard our borders and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity at the ports of entry, including land borders, cruise ship terminals, and airports. CBP officers are responsible for ensuring entry into the United States is safe and efficient, and for preventing the infiltration of drugs and other cross border organized criminal activity," a news release read.
"CBP officers are responsible for border security at the ports of entry - including anti-terrorism, anti-smuggling, determining admissibility, trade compliance, and agriculture protection - while simultaneously facilitating the lawful trade and travel at U.S. ports of entry that is critical to our Nation’s economy," the sheriff's office said.
