SAN RAFAEL, CA — A coalition of community organizations presented the Marin County Board of Supervisors an "ICE Free Marin" ordinance at the April 14 meeting that would severely restrict federal immigration enforcement within the county.
The proposed measure, which the coalition has presented at monthly Board meetings since December, would prohibit the use of county property, resources and personnel for federal immigration enforcement except when required by a judicial warrant or court order, protesters said. It also mandates public reporting on local immigration activity and requires law enforcement officers to wear visible identification.
"We are trying to be prepared for a possible ICE invasion," Fairfax resident Susan Malloy, advocating for the measure, told Bay City News.
The ordinance seeks to build upon the 2018 California Values Act, "sanctuary state law", which already limits local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The coalition, led by the Marin County Democratic Socialists of America, has also called for the Sheriff's Office to adopt a zero-communication policy with federal immigration authorities.
However, Marin County Sheriff Jamie Scardina has "pushed back on eliminating all communication with ICE," he stated in his spring newsletter, Bay City News reported. Scardina noted that his office's communication is already limited to individuals incarcerated for "violent and other serious crimes."
At the annual Truth Act Forum in March, Scardina reported that 23 individuals were referred to ICE in 2025, an increase from 14 in 2024.
“When ICE began deploying heavily armed troops to peaceful communities against the wishes of local elected leaders, cities and counties were not prepared," said Tammy Edmondson, a founding member of MVFREE, a group supporting the ordinance. "There had never been a reason to enact laws or policies to defend against such unprecedented federal abuses; now, we know better. In the past few months, communities throughout California and across the country have rushed to enact ICE-Free ordinances. These ordinances cure three significant local vulnerabilities that ICE has exploited to carry out its aggressive assaults.”
The coalition pointed out that Bay Area counties like Santa Cruz and San Francisco have already passed similar policies.
Additional reporting by Ruth Dusseault
Bay City News
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