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The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to set aside $100,000 to aid children and families affected by immigration enforcement and to adopt policies that limit federal agents’ access to nonpublic county spaces without a federal court order. The measures respond to growing community concern about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity and aim to reduce fear that officials say is disrupting daily life and school attendance.
Funds will be routed through the county’s partnership with the Community Foundation, while the board also asked staff to tighten public information on transfers of inmates to federal authorities. Supporters say the steps are practical protections; opponents warned the county’s budget is already under strain.
What the board approved and why it matters
The board authorized a one-time allocation of $100,000 from the county general fund to the SLO County Children’s Reserve, to be distributed via the Community Foundation’s “Fueling a Vibrant Immigrant Future” grant. Supervisors also approved language that would require a federal warrant before nonpublic county facilities can be entered and moved to condemn any seizure of county property by federal agencies.
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In addition, the board approved a review of the Sheriff’s Office online database that tracks inmates transferred to federal custody and whether those transfers align with the criteria set by California’s SB 54 (the California Values Act).
| Decision | Action | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Funding for impacted families | $100,000 from general fund to SLO County Children’s Reserve | Approved 3–2 |
| Access to county facilities | Policy requiring federal court order for entry to nonpublic county spaces | Approved 3–2 |
| Sheriff’s transfer database | Directed review of public records for compliance with SB 54 | Approved 3–2 |
Division on the board
The measure passed with support from Supervisors Dawn Ortiz-Legg, Bruce Gibson and Jimmy Paulding. Ortiz-Legg described the community’s unease about federal enforcement as real and destabilizing, while Gibson said the anxiety it causes affects families’ ability to function and provide for children.
Supervisors John Peschong and Heather Moreno opposed committing the money, arguing that the county faces a difficult financial year and should avoid additional general-fund expenditures now.
- Destination of funds: Community Foundation grant “Fueling a Vibrant Immigrant Future” → SLO County Children’s Reserve.
- Policy effect: County policy would oppose federal entry into nonpublic county spaces without a court order and formally condemn attempts to seize county property.
- Transparency step: Review of Sheriff’s Office online records for transfers to ICE under SB 54 standards.
Task force findings: fear, school impacts and service gaps
The board’s ad hoc immigration task force, formed after a community forum in January, reported that county agencies are seeing increased anxiety and avoidance behaviors tied to immigration enforcement. County behavioral health officials noted higher levels of fear among students, along with rising absenteeism, according to Robert Reyes, the county’s deputy executive officer.
At public comment, former Atascadero High School teacher Jehan Mirzaei said he resigned after administrators declined his requests to address students about harassment tied to immigration status and race. Mirzaei told the board a student confided that they had taken on household duties and rent payments in case parents were detained — a sign, he said, of how enforcement-related worry is reshaping family life.
Despite the heightened anxiety, the task force did not find a local spike in unaccompanied minors arriving because of immigration enforcement. County child welfare services reported no confirmed cases of children left without caregivers following ICE operations, the board was told.
Community organizations: funding and trust gaps
Working with the Community Foundation, the task force surveyed 55 local organizations that serve immigrant communities. Respondents cited lack of funding as the biggest obstacle to their work and identified weak trust between county institutions and immigrant populations as a persistent barrier.
Reyes said the task force relied on input from service providers rather than direct surveys of immigrant households, and that the patterns identified were sufficient to guide the board’s short-term recommendations.
The measures approved Tuesday are intended to be immediate relief and a statement of county policy, while officials continue to weigh longer-term interventions to support community outreach, mental health services and school supports.
