The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office shared the release dates of 92 jail inmates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2025, Sheriff David Livingston told county supervisors at a public forum Tuesday, Aug. 25, drawing criticism from community members and an immigrant rights attorney who questioned whether all 92 individuals qualified for notification under SB 54.
The two-hour forum, required annually under California's TRUTH Act, gave residents a public accounting of how the Sheriff's Office interacted with federal immigration authorities in 2025. The Sheriff's Office provides contract patrol services to Lafayette and polices unincorporated areas across the county, making the policy directly relevant to Lamorinda residents.
Livingston told the Board of Supervisors that ICE made 724 notification requests to his office in 2025. Only 124 were completed, and 32 of those were repeat notifications for the same people detained and released multiple times, according to Bay City News reporting. According to Livingston's presentation, the 92 people included individuals with convictions for assault, burglary, firearms offenses, sexual assault, DUI and elder abuse. All but one had prior conviction histories.
Livingston said his office does not participate directly in immigration enforcement but notifies ICE of release dates for certain people in county custody when the Sheriff's Office determines notification is permitted under California's Values Act (SB 54).
"What you need to remember is that many of the victims of these crimes are themselves immigrants," Livingston said. "So, it's a Catch-22 for our deputies."
Not everyone agreed.
Miosotti Tenecora, a senior staff attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, challenged that framing. She questioned whether all 92 individuals actually qualified for notification under SB 54, citing examples of people with misdemeanor convictions she argued were not serious enough for referral. Tenecora said the legal analysis required to make those determinations cannot be done by someone without an immigration law background.
District 5 Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston pressed Livingston on why his office continues notifying ICE when it is not required to do so, pointing to San Mateo County, where the Sheriff's Office did not complete a single ICE notification request in 2025.
Most community members who spoke at the forum called on the sheriff to end all cooperation with ICE.
What comes next
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss a proposed non-cooperation policy on Tuesday, Sept. 8. The policy, which would limit the use of county funds or resources to cooperate with immigration authorities, has been in the works since at least July 7, when supervisors directed County Counsel to analyze whether a draft ordinance is consistent with the California Attorney General's guidance and state law, according to the county's legislative record. That motion was introduced by Supervisor John Gioia and seconded by Supervisor Candace Andersen.
Residents who want to follow the issue can monitor the Board of Supervisors' Sept. 8 agenda on the county's legislative portal.
