SLO County supervisors plan to donate money to anti-ICE groups

January 28, 2026

Protesters outside the San Luis Obispo County building, photo by Jeff Specht

By KAREN VELIE

After listening to more than five hours of public comment, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors agreed on Tuesday to have staff look into prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering the jail lobby and to donating funds to nonprofits that support undocumented immigrants.

The meeting started with Sheriff Ian Parkinson explaining his office’s interactions with ICE. He said that his job is to provide peace and safety to the community, and not immigration enforcement.

In addition, Parkinson said ICE agents are not stopping people based on skin color, but are arresting specific targets in the jail lobby. In 2025, ICE agents picked up 16 undocumented immigrants in the lobby.

“If I have someone in custody with a prior felony and ICE wants them, I cannot harbor them,” Parkinson said noting there are federal laws against obstructing justice and harboring criminals.

Supervisor Bruce Gibson asked if Parkinson could release people from custody randomly throughout the day to make it more difficult for ICE agents.

Overflow from Tuesday’s San Luis Obispo County Supervisor’s meeting, photo by Jeff Specht

After condemning Parkinson for releasing a video of protesters demeaning ICE agents in the jail lobby, Gibson announced his plan to make the jail lobby a private space, which would allow protesters to interact with ICE agents in front of the jail.

Dozens of speakers at Tuesday’s meeting denounced ICE agents and the sheriff’s office. Many of the anti-ICE speakers are involved with 805 UndocuFund, a nonprofit that trains volunteers to track and work against federal law enforcement.

Protesters outside the San Luis Obispo County building, photo by Jeff Specht

A smaller group of speakers supported Parkinson and federal law enforcement.

Gibson said the county needs distance from the Trump administration, while wondering how far they could go.

Gibson suggested baring ICE from non-public parts of the county, making the jail lobby private, barring ICE from commandeering county facilities and requiring the sheriff to increase reporting on interactions with ICE.

Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said he did not believe local law enforcement was working with ICE.

“There is fear of what is happening nationally and there is this fear of local law enforcement,” Paulding said. “We need to work with law enforcement.”

Paulding suggested giving funds to some of the organizations working to help immigrants. He then said he agree with everything Gibson wanted to do.

With tears on her cheeks, Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg spoke of her Latino heritage.

“We are up against something with vast resources,” Ortiz-Legg said. “We can’t just react. We need to work together.”

Ortiz-Legg then suggested giving money to the Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County to hand out to other nonprofits.

“Most important thing is what we do for immigrant community members under attack,” Ortiz-Legg said.

Supervisor John Peschong spoke of the two children, who are U.S. citizens, who were left behind when there father was arrested in San Miguel. He suggested having social services provide help.

“My district supports the sheriff in complying with state and federal law,” Peschong said. “The people picked up have had serious crimes. We need to figure out how to help the families left behind through our social services programs.”

Gibson then made a motion to have staff look into providing money to undocumented immigrants through nonprofits, making the jail lobby a private space, baring ICE agents from private government spaces, prohibiting the commandeering of public spaces, requiring quarterly reporting from the sheriff, and looking into what other counties are doing.

Supervisor Heather Moreno said she was opposed to quarterly reporting.

Ortiz-Legg cried as she argued the county needs to build public trust. She agreed that the sheriff’s office is doing a good job.

The supervisors then voted unanimously to approve Gibson’s motion to have an Ad Hoc committee of Paulding and Ortiz-Legg to work with staff to develop options regarding support of the undocumented immigrant community. Staff will then bring the options to the full board.

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