Santa Cruz supervisors adopt SHIELD subcommittee recommendations, back No Secret Police Act and ALPR audit

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on May 19 adopted the SHIELD subcommittee's recommendations, passed a resolution backing California's No Secret Police Act and directed staff to expand a countywide policy, install signage and roll out training for county employees interacting with federal immigration agents.

Chair Monica Martinez, who led the SHIELD presentation, said the subcommittee formed to “safeguard health, inclusion, essential services and local defense” has met regionally and is advising the county on steps to protect immigrant residents and maintain access to local services.

The subcommittee reported that the board on March 10 adopted an ordinance limiting the use of county-owned parking lots, open spaces and buildings as staging areas for federal civil immigration enforcement “to the extent permissible by law,” Martinez said. CEO Nicole Coburn reported that county parks staff have produced and installed roughly 13 signs at park entrances and parking lots at a production-and-installation cost of about $4,000 paid from the CEO office budget.

The board also heard an audit by the Office of the Inspector General. Attorney Marion of the inspector general's office summarized a 30-day review (Feb. 1–Mar. 1, 2026) of the sheriff's access to automated license plate reader (ALPR) data through the Northern California regional database. Marion said auditors found roughly 800 accesses over the month and concluded those searches were conducted for law-enforcement reasons such as stolen-vehicle and property-crime investigations, wanted persons and domestic violence; the audit found no evidence in the reviewed period that the sheriff's office accessed that ALPR data for federal immigration enforcement purposes.

“The searches we examined demonstrated compliance with state law and SB 54,” Marion said, and added that the inspector general recommended—and the sheriff's office adopted—more-detailed documentation requirements (case numbers, warrant numbers, hot-sheet identifiers) to improve future recordkeeping. Marion said the sheriff posted a formal ALPR policy on its website and the inspector general's office will review monthly audits.

Supervisor Nelson Cummings (mover) and Supervisor Megan Hernandez (second) brought the subcommittee's recommended resolution forward. Hernandez told the board that recent proposals for detention facilities in nearby Santa Clara County had caused significant fear among South County immigrant communities and that county action was needed to preserve residents' access to services.

The board voted 5–0 to approve the subcommittee recommendations, authorize continued regional coordination, instruct the CEO's office to finalize staff training on the Federal Immigration Enforcement Engagement and Oversight Policy, and continue signage and community outreach. The motion also directed staff to continue coordination with Santa Clara County and to return with any recommended legal actions for closed-session consideration.

Public commenters urged stronger action against immigration enforcement and raised concerns about surveillance data sharing; supporters of the SHIELD work emphasized protecting access to health care and social services. The board's action does not create new county enforcement authority; officials repeatedly stressed that local law enforcement stated it will not assist federal immigration enforcement and that the county cannot obstruct lawful federal action.

The board packet indicates this is the subcommittee's second formal report back to the board; members said the subcommittee will continue quarterly roundtables with community partners and monitor service utilization to prevent fear-driven withdrawal from essential services.

The SHIELD materials and the adopted ordinance and policy excerpts, along with the inspector general ALPR policy and audit findings, were presented in the board's meeting packet and are available through county staff.