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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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I cannot wait until Supervisor Gibson cleans out his county office.


23

Fortunately, I drive a crappy vehicle and now the roads match. I question spending tax dollars on anything else but the benefits of well laid plans. I know why the wingnuts go to the B of S, because if they formed a non-profit for funding they’d have to work to get money even from the unsensible they chum with. Thankfully we are a country that allows for all religions but please don’t spend my earned tax dollars on the sluggard-beggar faith. Just my belief and it’s ok if you disagree.


19

Poor maga heads exploding. Worth every dollar


-74

I suppose your okay with this?


San Luis Obispo County is addressing a projected budget deficit of approximately $33.4 million to over $35 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year, largely driven by rising labor costs, slower revenue growth, and reduced state/federal funding. To address this, the county proposed over $38 million in budget cuts and 168 job reductions to balance the \(\$1.1\) billion budget.


32

How many of the so called cuts will address the biggest item, the outrageous compensations of especially administration?


32

I couldn’t care less about a hypothetical meeting in the future by an ad hoc committee to possibly discuss the options of possibly donating money. .


This subject doesn’t even rank in the top 20 things going on in this country.

I do still enjoy the rage posting it has caused though…


-15

The moral questions facing Central Coast communities are not abstract. They are concrete and personal, because they are answered before Jesus Christ.


Decisions made by those entrusted with authority—county supervisors, senior county administrators, and department heads who set policy and direct enforcement—move either toward Christ or away from Him. There is no neutral ground.


When asked what mattered most, Jesus answered from the Torah with two commands: love God fully and love your neighbor as yourself. These commands do not compete. Obedience to God defines how neighbor is loved.


This is not fundamentally about immigration. It is about justice, stewardship, and obedience. Compassion for families is good. But when county leadership manipulates process, obstructs lawful enforcement, or releases offenders in order to oppose justice, mercy is severed from truth.


Scripture gives a warning for moments like this. The crowd chose Barabbas—freeing a guilty man to relieve pressure—while rejecting Jesus Christ, who stood for righteousness. They wanted calm. They got disorder. They called it mercy. Christ called it sin destined for destruction.


When leaders weaken justice to appease fear, pressure, or ideology, they repeat the same moral failure. Choosing Barabbas is not compassion. It is rebellion disguised as virtue.


Jesus Christ openly confronted misuse of authority, hypocrisy, and false righteousness—especially among leaders. He named sin plainly and demanded change.


So this is a direct call to Central Coast county leadership:


Stop choosing Barabbas. Uphold justice. Obey lawful authority. Use public power rightly.


Care for families without undermining truth.


Christ still calls leaders to account.


Chose to serve God or the evil one.


The choice is yours…


13

What do the scriptures say about being a pedophile? What’s it say about leaders who are moral failures? What about leaders who choose to lie, cheat and steal?


-14

Elected officials are not “leaders.” They are servants.


5

I would rather my taxes give the illegals a bus pass to their country. it’d probably be cheaper, while we are at it we should give the anti-ICE old folks a bus to there as well, they can go help fix their country. Now that would be great Diddy party


48

These people are unhinged and need to be immediately removed from their positions. They are a disgrace.

Americans are second fiddle to illegal criminals.

Truly appalling.


166

Yeah, we should just shoot them in the street like they did to Goode and Pretti! Right? You pro-ICE nutjobs are unfukinbelievable.


-151

Or let them get murdered by illegals like Lankin Riley, Brianna Kelson, Karen Diamond, Dennis Buan, David Hang, Billy, Zabar, Krishaun, and Kason McKellar, Ava Moore, Aleksandre Modebadze, Jim McCammon, Camillia Williams, Ilias “Louie” Mavro, Adan Lopez Lorenzo…… and on and on and on


137

The anti-American, criminal-loving pieces of filth are more unbelievable.


85

They have no right to spend a penny of my tax money on this farce. The county and their liberal politics needs to stay out of this.


160

If you don’t like it you can leave. You okay with your tax dollars funding the detainment of 2 year olds? Or holding U.S. citizens for deportation and not allowing them to talk to a lawyer for 3 days? Paying bonuses for anyone arrested, even if the arrest was unlawful and the person gets immediately released. That’s the waste of tax dollars you should be upset about.


-119

I have a better idea. If you and the illegals don’t like it you can go with them back to their country. I bet that country will put up with your hatred of this one.


96

I’d actually prefer my money to be earmarked for the detainment of newborns.


2

But your president just sued the IRS for 10 billion dollars. You ok with that? Our tax dollars?


-12

As in Ancient Rome . When the Vandals arrived on the Romans doorstep .County supervisors Bribed / Paid Tribute to the Barbarians. As then , as now . Look there to see how it ends .


75

Those are MY taxes. While this horrific idea should never have seen the light of day, this is a voters responsibility. The BOS does not have the right to GIVE any tax money away, just so they can feel good about helping rapists and murderers escape the law.


Shameful.


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