A proposed countywide ICE non-cooperation ordinance would require the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department to report all contact with federal immigration agencies, directly affecting how Sheriff David O. Livingston's office handles enforcement requests in unincorporated areas including parts of the Walnut Creek area.
The Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance pushed for the ordinance at a press conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, outside the county administration building at 1025 Escobar St. in Martinez. The coalition called on the Board of Supervisors to pass the measure, which advocates say goes further than the county's existing draft policy.
Scheduled speakers included Danny Espinoza, director of Lift Up Contra Costa; the Rev. Deborah Lee, executive director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity; Brandon Dawkins, vice president of organizing for SEIU 1021; and Pinole Mayor Cameron Sasai, according to the Contra Costa Herald.
What the ordinance would do
Beyond requiring the Sheriff's Department to disclose federal contacts, the proposed ordinance would prohibit use of county resources and funds for ICE operations, create countywide policies to protect county workers from immigration enforcement actions, safeguard county data from ICE access and bar county contractors from cooperating with ICE agents.
Advocates say the county's existing draft, prepared by county counsel, does not comply with guidance from the California Attorney General issued under Senate Bill 580. State law requires local jurisdictions to adopt the AG's model non-cooperation policy or an equivalent by the start of 2027, according to East Bay Times reporting.
Contra Costa remains one of the few Bay Area counties without such an ordinance. Alameda, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Sonoma counties all have non-cooperation ordinances in effect.
Board delayed vote in July
The Board of Supervisors was scheduled to adopt an ICE policy on July 7 but delayed the vote to compare the county's draft against the Attorney General's model policy, released July 1. The issue was expected to return in August or September.
A split remains on the board over format. Supervisors Shanelle Scales-Preston and John Gioia favor an ordinance, which carries stronger enforcement mechanisms and requires multiple public meetings before taking effect. Supervisors Candace Anderson and Ken Carlson favor a resolution, which would take effect immediately.
No vote is scheduled.
"Us delaying is not going to change how the Sheriff's Department interacts with ICE," Supervisor Anderson said in July when the board postponed its vote. "It's not going to change how any of our departments interact with ICE."
What's next
The Sheriff's Office has not publicly responded to the coalition's demands. The Walnut Creek Record has reached out to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jimmy Lee for comment.
The county's annual TRUTH Act Community Forum is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, during the regular Board of Supervisors meeting at the same Escobar Street address. The Sheriff's Office will present its 2025 data on responses to ICE notification requests at that forum. Approximately 25% of Contra Costa County residents are immigrants.
