(Image Credit: IMAGN) Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall stands looking out from the doors where Alex Friedmann was caught at the Downtown Detention Center in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024.
Los Angeles, California – For the first time in nearly four years, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has resumed transferring inmates to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), using a narrow legal pathway that appears to avoid direct conflict with sanctuary laws—but not without raising questions about legality, accountability, and the human cost.
Records show that at least eight individuals in custody were turned over to ICE in May, with another twelve in June. The department says the transfers complied with local and state sanctuary rules because, in all but one case, the inmates had federal judicial warrants—an important distinction that gives local law enforcement the cover to cooperate with federal authorities without technically violating city or state protections for undocumented residents.
In the single case where no warrant existed, officials say the transfer was tied to pending federal criminal charges, agreed upon by both the Department of Homeland Security and the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.
While the technical legality of the transfers is not currently in dispute, the move reopens a longstanding debate over whether such actions violate the spirit—if not the letter—of sanctuary policies. Legal experts and immigrant advocates warn that these actions may create an environment of fear, confusion, and diminished trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.
The contrast between city and county policies only adds to the confusion. The City of Los Angeles passed a sweeping sanctuary ordinance in December 2024, barring most cooperation with ICE, including the sharing of information or use of city resources. But Los Angeles County, which oversees the sheriff’s department, has not formally declared itself a sanctuary jurisdiction—leaving room for discretionary cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
A spokesperson for the county emphasized that “services and locations are accessible to everyone,” and that the county would continue to “comply with applicable federal law.” But critics argue that a technical reading of compliance offers little reassurance to those most at risk of detention and deportation.
The sheriff’s renewed cooperation with ICE comes amid rising tensions between local officials and the federal government. Just weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles City Council, alleging that the city’s sanctuary ordinance violates the Constitution.
That lawsuit follows months of increasingly aggressive federal immigration operations across Southern California. Under the Trump administration’s directive, federal agents—often masked, in unmarked vehicles—have escalated raids in Los Angeles, sometimes detaining citizens in the process and drawing criticism from civil rights advocates and local officials alike.
For many Angelenos, the latest moves by the sheriff’s department signal not just a policy shift, but a chilling return to an era where immigration status could once again be used as a weapon—often without due process or accountability.
