San Diego County Sheriff's Office Issues Statement After Federal Agents Seen Outside Station

ENCINITAS, CA — The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said it was not involved in any federal immigration enforcement activity after social media posts showed federal agents in the parking lot of a station in Encinitas.

The North Coastal Sheriff's Station began receiving inquiries March 6 after a social media post circulated showing federal agents in the publicly accessible parking lot of the station at 175 N. El Camino Real in Encinitas, according to the sheriff's office.

"Any federal agency participating in immigration-related operations in Encinitas have done so without prior knowledge or assistance from the North Coastal Sheriff's Station," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

"The incident highlighted on social media is an example of just that. The North Coastal Sheriff's Station does not know the circumstances regarding why federal agents were present in the station's public parking lot."

The agency reiterated that it complies with California Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act, a state law that limits how local law enforcement can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The sheriff's office does not use agency facilities, resources or personnel to assist federal agencies with immigration enforcement, officials said.

"The sheriff's office remains dedicated to building a culture of trust and transparency with our diverse communities," sheriff's office said in a statement. "We want to remind the public they can always contact the San Diego County Sheriff's Office if they have questions about any sheriff's activity/operations in their communities."

Community members can call the sheriff's non-emergency line at 858-868-3200 for more information.