The county, city of San Diego and three other local cities were put on the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) list of so-called "sanctuary juridistctions" released late Thursday afternoon.
DHS said these jurisdictions are not in compliance with federal criminal statutes. The list was published a month after President Donald Trump’s executive order ordering DHS and the Attorney General to publish a list of states and local jurisdictions they believe are obstructing federal immigration laws.
The announcement was a surprise for local leaders.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's spokesperson, Rachel Laing, said the list raised more questions than answers.
"Regardless of (Thursday's) announcement, the city will continue to comply with state and federal laws," she said in a statement. "We will protect the interests of our residents and retain our distinction of being one of the safest big cities in the United States."
Dozens of other California cities and counties are also on the list. San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert said she's not surprised.
"This is going to be used as additional threats and fear tactics,” she said, adding that the list doesn't clarify anything.
“To be honest, when you go and look at the California jurisdictions that are and aren't on the list, there's not a lot of rhyme or reason as to why somebody is included in some other city isn't,” Ferbert said.
That lack of clarity also puzzled Vista Mayor John Franklin. His city, along with Chula Vista and Santee are also on DHS' list.
“It's definitely a surprise. I think it's a simple mistake," he said. "The city of Vista has made its position clear. We're not a sanctuary city. And so I'm writing a letter to the president today and asking them to correct this simple error.”
Vista contracts its policing to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Kelly Martinez declined an interview but in a statement, the department said, in part, that it “follows and enforces state law."
"California Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) is very clear that local law enforcement will not enforce federal immigration law,” the statement said.
There is no specific definition of a “sanctuary jurisdiction,” but the term is often used to refer to communities that don’t cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Chula Vista Mayor John McCann was also surprised to see his city on the list. He said the city has not adopted a sanctuary city policy, and its police force does not do anything to inhibit immigration enforcement.
“And we are there to be a willing partner to get criminals off the streets,” McCann said. McCann is also writing a letter to the Trump administration to get Chula Vista off the list.
According to the Chula Vista City Manager's office, the city is a member of the Welcoming America network and complies with SB 54.
DHS said it will send notification letters to all jurisdictions on the list. So far, no local jurisdictions have received that letter.
McCann is worried about how being on the list will affect federal funding for his city's law enforcement, which could amount to "millions of dollars.”
Ferbert said the city of San Diego, along with others, filed a lawsuit early on in this administration to protect federal funding for so-called “sanctuary cities.”
“We prevailed and have an injunction for cities named in that lawsuit to prevent the federal administration from using sanctuary designation, in whatever sense the administration believes that is, from withholding federal funds,” she said.
San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer said in a statement that the county will continue to "protecting the right to due process for everyone."
"In the Trump era, innocence doesn't protect you. Only due process can," she said. "And when due process is undermined, justice is denied."
Santee Mayor John Minto was also surprised by the city’s inclusion on the list. He said Santee is not a sanctuary city and has contacted Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA-48) for help getting the city off the list.
But, he said, one good thing about the announcement was that it shows the city needs to do a better job of communicating with DHS.
