SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego City Council is set to vote on a controversial ordinance that would place new restrictions on how local police share data and cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies.
The proposed "Due Process and Safety Ordinance" would limit the city's involvement in Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and other federal enforcement activities around San Diego.
Under the ordinance, federal agents would need a signed warrant to enter non-public city areas or request city data, including information collected by license plate readers and street light cameras. The measure also blocks the city and its contractors from sharing workers' personal information or activities with out-of-state or federal agencies.
The ordinance comes as federal immigration arrests surge in San Diego. According to the Deportation Data Project, ICE arrests of non-criminals have surged 400% since the beginning of the year, fueling concerns that local data could be used to target immigrants, activists, or even patients seeking reproductive healthcare.
"I think San Diegans should know from across the region, San Diego leaders are trying to work together to make San Diego a place that is not just talking about resistance, but taking action to protect people," Councilmember Sean Elo Rivera said. "It's not just immigrants and refugees who are under threat right now, and for a period we were trying to explain to people that when you throw out the rights of one person, it actually means that none of us have rights. If there is no due process, there's no way of proving that you're a citizen."
City officials emphasize that the ordinance does not stop police from pursuing serious crimes like drug trafficking or murder. However, it would require San Diego Police to report how they're working with federal officials and limits data that those federal agents can access.
The County Board of Supervisors is taking up a similar ordinance on Tuesday to limit its involvement with ICE.
