Federal Agents Staging In San Diego County Prompts Response By Sheriff's Office

ENCINITAS, CA — A social media post showing federal agents gathering in front of a San Diego County Sheriff's Office station in Encinitas on Friday prompted deputies to issue a public response saying that they were not participating in the operation.

The sheriff's North Coastal station began receiving inquiries from the public regarding a social media post showing federal agents in the front, publicly accessible parking lot of the station located at 175 N. El Camino Real.

"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," Sheriff's Lt. Michael Davis 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."

Davis emphasized that the Sheriff's Office remains steadfast in complying with California Senate Bill 54, also known as the California Values Act and that it does not use agency facilities, resources or personnel to assist federal agencies with immigration enforcement.

"The Sheriff's Office remains dedicated to building a culture of trust and transparency with our diverse communities," Davis said. "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."

City News Service