San Diego County Supervisors Prohibit Federal Immigration Agencies from Facility Gun Ranges

SAN DIEGO, CA — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3–2 on Tuesday to approve a policy barring federal civil immigration enforcement agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), from leasing or utilizing county-owned firearms training centers and law enforcement tactical facilities.

Board Debate and Policy Provisions

The policy resolution, authored by Board Chair Nora Vargas, terminates intergovernmental facility-use memorandums of understanding with federal immigration agencies at the East Mesa firearms complex and the Sheriff’s tactical training facilities.

Supporters on the board argued that county taxpayer-funded resources must not facilitate federal deportation machinery, emphasizing the necessity of preserving immigrant community trust in local emergency health and county social services. Opponents, including Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond, warned that denying local training facilities forces federal officers to travel out-of-county for qualification drills, undermining regional inter-agency public safety coordination.

Legal Authority and County Jurisdiction

County legal counsel affirmed that local governments hold constitutional authority to manage county real estate and facility leasing without infringing upon federal preemption mandates.

Civil rights organizations and the ACLU of San Diego praised the vote as a vital stand for municipal sovereignty and immigrant civil liberties in California's border region.

Implementation Schedule

The Sheriff’s Department was directed to phase out existing federal training facility reservations within 60 days.