SAN DIEGO, CA — Two county supervisors Monday will call for an end to agreements allowing federal immigration enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to use county facilities for firearms training.
Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer were set to hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. Monday on the west side of the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway. Families affected by deportations, faith and labor leaders and community members were also expected to participate.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposal by Aguirre and Lawson-Remer to end agreements with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection allowing the agencies to use the San Diego Regional Firearms Training Center on Alta Road in Otay Mesa.
The supervisors are also seeking to end an agreement allowing ICE to use a training facility at Camp Elliott at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
In a Wednesday news release, the supervisors said that although the county is part of a binational region, "under increased and aggressive federal immigration enforcement, ICE has brought fear and trauma into our neighborhoods. San Diegans should not be afraid to visit loved ones, go to work, see their doctor or simply leave their homes because they fear they may not make it back safely."
In May, ICE reported that its agents apprehended 16,368 people in San Diego County between Jan. 20 and April 1.
The data came in a letter response to Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, who expressed concerns about ICE's tactics during operations in Oceanside and requested information about the warrants involved and the detainees' criminal records. The latter was not provided.
According to Aguirre and Lawson-Remer, letting ICE use county facilities conflicts with the Civil Liberties Enforcement and Accountability Rules ordinance, which restricts federal law enforcement access to county facilities without a warrant.
They added letting the agreements stand also violates civil liberties and Know Your Rights programs.
The county-owned Firearms Training Center was built in 1996 via a partnership with the FBI, which operates it along with the District Attorney's and Sheriff's offices, according to Aguirre and Lawson-Remer.
The licensing agreement with ICE to use the facility took effect in July 2021.
Because the contract fell below the dollar threshold required for board approval, "it was executed administratively," according to Aguirre and Lawson-Remer. "The board did not consider it, and it received no public deliberation."
The county entered into a 2017 contract with the CBP San Diego field office to use its facility, "but neither agreement surfaced publicly until an April 2026 investigative report by iNewsource brought them to light," Aguirre and Lawson-Remer said.
"Since 2024, ICE and CBP have collectively logged approximately 3,350 hours at the facility," they added.
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