In a statement I wrote on the recent events in Minneapolis, I said the tragic shooting deaths of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, and Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, were gut-wrenching tragedies. I also said the investigations into both should be allowed to conclude before judgement is cast, and I expressed concern that inaccurate and provocative remarks made by political leaders on both sides of the aisle make the goal of achieving bipartisan immigration reform even more elusive.
At a subsequent protest rally held in Santa Barbara, several local elected officials demanded I speak out against federal law enforcement actions and explain how the Sheriff’s Office can protect the community from immigration enforcement. In response to my statement, 2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps told the crowd, “I disagree with the sheriff. This is not a moment for both-sides language.”
Actually, there should always be room for differing perspectives. Differences matter. All voices should be heard and considered—especially now—without demonizing one another. Two things can be, and often are, true at the same time. We should be cautious of groupthink and understand that alternative ways of thinking don’t cancel each other out.
During the past year, I have spoken about immigration enforcement publicly and repeatedly, at Board of Supervisors meetings, at community meetings, and in the above-referenced remarks. I have not been silent on this issue. I just haven’t said what some people have wanted to hear.
In all my communications, I have made it crystal clear that the Sheriff’s Office protects and serves everyone in our community, regardless of their immigration status. We do not want anyone who is undocumented to hesitate to call us if they are a victim of crime or if they witness a crime. We do not enforce or assist in enforcing federal immigration law in our community, except as sparingly permitted by state law in our jails. I have also said that local law enforcement does not have authority over federal agencies.
The fear and heartbreak experienced by undocumented people in our community, especially those whose loved ones have been detained or deported, is real and distressing. Across political lines, many of us recognize that people who entered this country in violation of immigration law, or who were brought here as children but have otherwise been law-abiding, often for decades, are usually good, productive people who contribute very positively to our communities and economy. They have become our neighbors, colleagues, and friends.
Given their situation, current law should be changed so that these long-term residents and Dreamers could be properly vetted and offered a path to legal residency and work approval.
At the same time, we must always be willing to acknowledge difficult truths. While the vast majority of those who have entered this country illegally did so in search of a better life and have remained otherwise law-abiding, there have also been many serious crimes committed by unlawful entrants. Americans across our nation worry about criminal activity by members of violent gangs, organized theft groups, smugglers and dealers of illicit and often lethal drugs (which killed almost 350 people in our county in just the last three years), and other serious crimes committed by undocumented criminals.
These have included some notorious homicides here in Santa Barbara County, including the brutal murder of Marilyn Pharis, a 64-year-old Air Force veteran in Santa Maria in 2015. The following year, during a sting called Operation Matador in Santa Maria, 13 of the 16 suspects arrested for the MS-13 gang-related murders of 10 victims were identified by ICE as undocumented.
These heartbreaking tragedies underscore the need for immigration law and enforcement reforms that protect public safety while still upholding our collective values.
In the meantime, everyone should adhere to the law, and it should be enforced fairly, courteously, and professionally. We can support the law, or we can work to change it, while still having empathy and compassion for others. We must support the right to peaceful protest and civil discourse, whether we agree or disagree with what’s being said. Respect and decency must remain the standard.
Bill Brown is the Santa Barbara County Sheriff. Send a response for publication to letters@santamariasun.com.