What was pitched as a low-key yesterday evening meet-and-greet with Sonoma County Sheriff Eddie Engram in Bodega Bay quickly turned into a pointed debate over immigration enforcement. Instead of a casual chance for West County residents to chat with their sheriff, the gathering at the Bodega Bay Grange became an immigration-focused showdown as picketers pressed Engram about his office's cooperation with ICE. Protesters used the event to demand that the sheriff stop opposing a proposed non-collaboration ordinance and halt information-sharing that they say leads directly to deportations. The exchange stayed mostly civil, but it laid bare the deep mistrust that still divides immigrant advocates and law enforcement across the county.
Protesters Press Sheriff Over ICE Cooperation
Demonstrators, including members of the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition, told Engram they want a county ordinance that flatly bars local cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They cited what they said were local records showing that roughly 70 people were turned over to ICE last year, according to KTVU. Organizer Renee Saucedo told the outlet that state law already gives local agencies room to refuse cooperation, and picketers urged the sheriff to drop his public opposition to the draft non-collaboration policy.
Sheriff Points To State Law And Public-Safety Concerns
Engram and his office counter that their hands are largely tied by state rules and that their approach is built around public safety. In a March 11, 2025 letter to the community, the sheriff's office stated that it does not honor immigration holds and only acts on warrants issued by a judge and that notifications to ICE are limited to people convicted of serious or violent felonies, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office. At the Bodega Bay meeting, Engram took questions and, according to attendees, said his decisions are guided by what he believes will keep the broader community safe.
What State Law Allows
On one point, both advocates and the sheriff agree: California law sets the outer limits of what local agencies can and cannot do with ICE. Statutes such as the California Values Act and the TRUTH Act restrict many forms of cooperation while requiring counties to report certain jail-release interactions to the public. County reporting has documented spikes in federal requests. A TRUTH Act report cited by The Press Democrat showed 332 ICE requests and 54 responses in 2022, numbers immigrant advocates now wield as evidence in their push for stricter local rules.
Politics And Pressure
The tense exchange in Bodega Bay is unfolding against a shifting political backdrop at the county level. In recent weeks, Supervisor Chris Coursey publicly reversed his long-held position and urged Sonoma County to end local cooperation with ICE, a turnabout that organizers have highlighted at rallies, according to KRCB. Advocates say the meet-and-greet dust-up shows growing public appetite for closer oversight of how the sheriff's office shares information with federal agents. County leaders, meanwhile, point out that the Board of Supervisors has limited leverage over the policies of an independently elected sheriff.
What's Next
The evening wrapped up without arrests, fireworks, or any immediate policy shift. Both protesters and the sheriff's camp said they wanted more dialogue and less confrontation going forward, according to KTVU. Organizers say they will keep pressing the Board of Supervisors and Engram for a binding non-collaboration ordinance that shuts the door on local ICE cooperation. For now, the sheriff's office continues to publicly report its ICE interactions and points to state law as the framework that guides its actions.
