Riverside County supervisors voted Tuesday to back measures supporting immigrant residents, despite concerns they may be overstepping their authority amid President Trump’s deportation plans.
Riverside County supervisors voted 4-0 to explore creating a website to help undocumented residents access legal resources and combat misinformation. The board also directed staff to report back next month on how agencies collect data on immigrants in the region.
Perez says the county’s proposed measures promote inclusion and support for immigrants while staying within the law. He cited the county’s 2018 decision to protect a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and its 2019 support for asylum seekers as examples of that commitment.
He also pushed back on claims that Riverside is trying to become a “sanctuary county.”
“That's you making it all up,” Perez said. “All we're saying is this: do our due diligence and continue to provide the provisions that are necessary for all folks.”
Speakers who backed the proposals shared that this was a strong first step for the county to protect immigrants who are otherwise law-abiding and contributors to the county’s well-being.
“It’s very important for us to highlight that Riverside County and our state benefits from the labor of immigrants,” said Luz Gallegos, the executive director of the Perris-based TODEC Legal Center, in Spanish. “The facts show what we already know: that our immigrant community is a blessing in the economic, cultural and political sense.”
Opponents argue that the county is making a mistake by supporting immigrants who entered the country unauthorized.
Eric Stalter of Calimesa criticized the board and immigrant rights advocates for being divisive and not fostering 'solution-based' dialogue. He argued that undocumented immigrants shouldn’t take shortcuts or undermine those who have 'worked hard' to come to the U.S. legally.
“We have to be clear about what the law says,” said Stalter. “Anything of value, anything worth having, requires hard work. What we're doing for all of these people is taking out the hard work factor. We're removing the challenge of achieving something great.”
Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco wasn’t at the meeting, but urged the board through a statement to oppose the proposals.
Donald Sharp, Bianco’s undersheriff, said the department evaluates driving habits and other criminal activities when arresting people, not immigration status.
“The belief, or even the assumption, that our deputies are out there with immigration being the first and foremost thing that they're doing, that is not it,” he said.
Supervisor Karen Spiegel, who left the meeting early and didn’t vote, acknowledged the emotions surrounding the issue. However, she expressed concerns about whether the county was overstepping its authority.
Spiegel also pointed to recent efforts by Congress and former President Trump to penalize so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, warning of potential 'unintentional consequences' if the proposals move forward.
“I'm watching what's going on in LA and San Diego County. I think we need to be very strategic on how we deal with these things,” she said. “I think being first out of the gate is not always beneficial.”
