Nearly 100 people crowded into the Marin County Board of Supervisors chamber in San Rafael yesterday, pressing county leaders to confront a politically charged question: Should the sheriff keep taking federal money from a jail reimbursement program tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement?
Many in the audience said they were moved to action by the recent killing of Minneapolis protester Renée Good and by fears that local authorities may be helping funnel detainee information to federal immigration officials. Organizers called on supervisors to either halt Marin County's participation in the program or at least put the matter on a future agenda for a full public debate.
Protesters deliver petitions and public testimony
The action was organized by the Marin chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Latino advocacy group Fuerzas Unidas. The coalition told supervisors it has collected more than 4,700 signatures urging the board to act, according to Local News Matters.
Susan Morgan, speaking on behalf of what she said were 5,000 members of Indivisible Marin, used her public comment time to demand quick action and sharply criticize federal immigration policy as she addressed the board, SFGATE reports. Ministers and community leaders told supervisors they plan to keep coming back until the SCAAP question appears on a formal agenda.
County executive: oversight commission will review the issue
County Executive Derek Johnson told supervisors that Marin's participation in the funding program has been flagged for review by the county's newly formed Civilian Oversight Commission and the Office of Inspector General, both created to provide independent oversight of the Sheriff's Office. The commission, which was authorized by the board and is still finalizing its bylaws and operating agreement, will have the authority to study sheriff policies and recommend next steps, according to the meeting transcript in Marin County.
Johnson also reiterated the county's stated commitment to services supporting immigrant residents as the review moves forward.
What the federal program pays and what it requires
The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP, reimburses states and local governments for certain correctional officer salary costs tied to incarcerating noncitizens who meet specific conviction and custody criteria, according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance. To qualify, local agencies must provide federal officials with specific detainee data to verify eligibility, a requirement outlined by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Marin County received $338,136 in SCAAP payments for fiscal year 2024, according to the Bureau of Justice Assistance's FY 2024 award list on the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Several counties have balked at SCAAP
In California and elsewhere, some counties and sheriffs have backed away from SCAAP due to concerns about data sharing and conflicts with local sanctuary policies. San Francisco has not participated in recent years, and sheriff's offices in other counties have publicly declined the program, SFGATE reports.
Protesters in Marin pointed to those examples, and to national anger after the Minneapolis shooting of Renée Good, to explain why the issue feels urgent in their own communities. Coverage of that case and ensuing demonstrations has appeared in national outlets, including The Washington Post.
What to watch next
Activists left yesterday's meeting vowing to return until supervisors formally schedule a discussion on whether to keep taking SCAAP money. County officials say the Civilian Oversight Commission and the Office of Inspector General are responsible for reviewing sheriff policies and can bring recommendations to the board once their bylaws and operating agreement are finalized, according to the county meeting record.
For now, the board has not set a date for any vote on ending SCAAP participation, and organizers say they plan to keep the pressure on until that changes.
