The U.S. Department of Justice has issued formal data requests to sheriff’s departments across California seeking information on jail inmates who are not U.S. citizens, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is contemplating whether to comply.

“The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is currently reviewing this request,” a department spokesperson said. “We are looking at the type of data we have available and studying if and how we might be able to comply.” 

Meanwhile, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office said that no requests have been made to the agency.

A 2018 California law prohibits police and sheriff departments from asking someone about their immigration status or sharing someone’s personal information with ICE or Border Patrol.

Removing Criminal Illegal Immigrants Is Trump’s ‘Highest Priority’

The DOJ confirmed Thursday that it is asking agencies to provide lists detailing the crimes of arrest or conviction for noncitizen inmates, along with their scheduled release dates. The department says the information will help federal immigration authorities prioritize the removal of those who have committed crimes after entering the country illegally.

“In recent years, the United States suffered an invasion of illegal aliens at an unprecedented scale. Far too many of those illegal aliens have gone on to commit crimes on American soil, including rapes, murders, and other violent crimes,” the DOJ said in a statement. “Today’s (Thursday) data requests are designed to assist federal immigration authorities in prioritizing the removal of illegal aliens who committed crimes after illegally entering the United States.”

Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the effort a top priority for President Donald Trump.

“Removing criminal illegal aliens is this Administration’s highest priority,” Bondi said. “I look forward to cooperating with California’s county sheriffs to accomplish our shared duty of keeping Californians and all Americans safe and secure.”

Los Angeles County Sheriff Says Feds Need a Warrant

In Los Angeles, the county sheriff’s department said it only cooperates with federal immigration officials under limited conditions.

“The only time the Sheriff’s Department transfers an individual into ICE custody is with a federal judicial warrant signed by a judge,” the department told The New York Times, noting that immigration officials are prohibited from using county property or resources without one.

San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto said that his department doesn’t participate in civil immigration enforcement.

It’s unclear how many sheriff’s offices received the DOJ request or how many plan to comply.

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