By Wendy Medina
Santa Cruz Sentinel, Calif.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — In an effort to support families in maintaining essential communication during a period of heightened U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the region, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced it will temporarily triple free video visits for those held in the county jail.
For the next 30 days, until the end of November, people in custody at the Santa Cruz County Jail will be granted access to six complimentary video visits per week, up from two. The calls are scheduled in 15- or 30-minute time slots via third-party vendor SmartInmate. The Sheriff’s Office negotiated the increase with the video visitation provider at no added expense to the county, acknowledging that some families may fear visiting the jail in person due to immigration enforcement operations.
The move follows ICE officers’ presence at the jail Oct. 24 . According to a social media post from Your Allied Rapid Response for Santa Cruz County, agents arrived around 9:30 a.m. and community legal observers from the organization showed up soon after. The Sheriff’s Office stated that the agents were there in an effort to bring someone into custody, prompting deputies to lock down the jail, not allowing anyone to enter or leave. During the incident, ICE left and returned to the parking lot, but ultimately the agents left around 3:21 p.m. and no one was detained, according to the post.
“This was something that I had thought of following the event on Saturday, when we had ICE in our parking lot,” Sheriff Chris Clark told the Sentinel. “And it led me to think that potentially some families could be apprehensive about coming to the jail to visit their loved ones. So out of consideration of that, I made the decision to see what we could do in regards to increasing complimentary video visits in the event that families were too fearful to go to the jail in person. … I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”
The county Public Defender’s Office commended the sheriff’s action and emphasized that maintaining meaningful relationships during incarceration is crucial for successful re-entry into society, as it preserves vital support networks people rely on for emotional support, housing, caregiving and stability.
“We appreciate the Sheriff’s responsible, compassionate approach to keeping the people we serve connected to their families and natural support systems,” Public Defender Heather Rogers said in a media release. “Whole person defense recognizes that a person’s relationships, stability, and connection to community matter deeply. Those connections can help disrupt harmful cycles, support a successful return home, and lead to better outcomes for individuals, families, and our community.”
Clark confirmed that ICE has not returned to the county jail nor has the agency had any communications with the Sheriff’s Office since the incident. The Sheriff’s Office said it does not participate in any civil immigration enforcement activities and does not inform ICE of scheduled inmate release dates, individuals’ immigration status or criminal history for immigration enforcement purposes.
“Families should not have to choose between fear and staying connected to someone they love,” Rogers said. “This expansion is a practical step that recognizes the importance of those bonds.”
Multiple ICE arrests have been reported across the Central Coast and the Bay Area in recent weeks amid a surge in immigration enforcement activity throughout California as the midterm election nears. State Assemblymember Dawn Addis, whose district covers portions of Santa Cruz County, called the surge “fearmongering” to prevent Californians from voting. On Tuesday, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, whose district includes Watsonville, Freedom and Corralitos, condemned President Donald Trump and ICE agents for a recent attack on a high school student with special needs, calling the federal response in the state “voter-suppression actions.”
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