Full Notification

 

Personnel from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) make more than two million public contacts every year.  Our county is the most diverse in the United States.  We welcome this rich diversity and share tremendous trust in all of our communities.  We are the guardians of our communities and public safety is our top priority. 

1. Does the LASD work to deport undocumented immigrants?  For example, could I be deported during a routine traffic stop or call for help? 
   Answer:  No.  Deputies from the Los Angeles County     Sheriff’s Department do not ask about immigration status during traffic stops or calls for service.  In fact, deputies do not ask immigration status of ANY person, including a victim or witness to any crime.  Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.  Our Department members shall  investigate criminal activity without regard to an individual’s immigration status.  We shall not initiate police activity with the sole objective of discovering an individual’s immigration status. We shall neither arrest nor book any individual solely on suspicion of violating federal immigration laws relating to illegal entry, being unlawfully present, or overstaying a visa.

    2.   What prevents an LASD Deputy from arresting someone
          for being an undocumented immigrant?      
          Answer:  Our Department policy prohibits our deputies from 
          arresting or booking an individual solely on the suspicion of 
          violating federal immigration laws.
 
    3.  What happens to an LASD Deputy who asks about
         someone’s immigration status?
         Answer:  The deputy can be subject to administrative action.

    4.  What can an undocumented immigrant do if LASD
         personnel inquire about their immigration status?
         Answer:  File a complaint, known as a “Watch Commander’s
         Service Comment Report,” by contacting a local LASD station
         or calling the LASD Internal Affairs Bureau.

    5.  Can I report crimes without fear of being deported?
         Answer:  Absolutely, yes.  Our policy is to enforce all laws
         equally for all community members, regardless of the
         immigration status.  Our deputies are prohibited from asking
         about immigration status and should not be asking.  We have
         built trust within our communities and this trust is the basis for
         our “Immigration Inquiries and Notifications Policy.”  This
         policy is intended to reassure immigrant communities that
         there is no need for fear when contacting the Los Angeles
         County Sheriff’s Department when they need us most.  In
         fact, we offer U-Visa applications to all victims and witnesses
         of crime who fit the criteria.  The number of U-Visa
         applications has increased, which is an indication of our
         strong community partnerships and public trust.

    6.  How many inmates were turned over to ICE in 2016?
         Answer:  In California, we are guided by the TRUST and
         TRUTH ACTS.  In 2016, approximately 312,000 people were
         released from our custody.  Of those, only 1,007 of the most 
         serious and violent offenders were turned over to the custody
         of ICE agents.  This is 1/3 of 1 percent and was only those
         who qualified as serious and violent offenders and posed
         significant potential risk to public safety in Los Angeles
         County.   

Our communities benefit from our compliance with the TRUST and TRUTH ACTS so that dangerous criminals do not prey on innocent victims in our communities.