The DOJ has requested inmate data from California sheriffs, but LA County Sheriff Luna says complying is “impossible.”
The DOJ announced Thursday it requested data from several California counties about undocumented immigrants in custody, specifically naming LA and San Francisco Counties.
The DOJ stated the data would assist federal agents in identifying undocumented immigrants for possible deportation, particularly those with violent convictions who are seen as high-risk.
At a Thursday press conference, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna addressed his department’s stance on cooperating with federal immigration agents, saying he hadn’t seen AG Pam Bondi’s letter and that fulfilling the DOJ’s data request would be “impossible.”
“We don’t ask somebody if they are here legally or illegally,” Luna said. “It would be impossible for us to provide a list like that.”
Sheriff Luna said that once his office receives the DOJ letter, they’ll assess what information, if any, can be legally shared.
Luna emphasized that LASD operates under laws and policies that prohibit collaboration with federal officials, unless specific exceptions apply.
“We do not honor ICE detainers or requests for transfers, we do not allow immigration officials to operate within our facilities, and we do not permit the use of county property databases,” Luna said.
According to Luna, the department only hands over inmates to ICE if a federal warrant is issued, and 20 transfers have taken place under those conditions.
DOJ officials said they’d rather sheriffs cooperate willingly, but won’t hesitate to use subpoenas or other mandatory processes to secure the data.
