Newscast: Mendocino County Grapples with Unintended Consequences of Sanctuary Law as Local Immigration Enforcement is Accompanied by National Mass Deportation Rhetoric

After months of rumors, there is firm confirmation that federal immigration agents are active in Mendocino County. According to the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office, immigration agents are continuing to pursue foreign nationals who have been released into the community after completing sentences for violent crimes. This activity has been ongoing since the state sanctuary law was passed in 2017. There is no evidence, to date, that immigration enforcement activity in Mendocino County is targeting foreign nationals whose only violation is the lack of legal papers. The delay in confirmation is an unintended consequence of the state sanctuary law, the sheriff said, which limits cooperation between local enforcement and federal immigration agents.