Amador County Sheriff Gary Redman is openly defying California’s 2017 sanctuary state law, SB 54, which limits local law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities. In a bold declaration, Redman vowed to continue working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when he believes a person in his custody is in the country illegally and poses a serious public safety threat. His stance has positioned him as a lone voice in the state, as he is currently the only sheriff in California to make this commitment.
Sheriff Redman’s decision to disregard the sanctuary law stems from his commitment to protecting the public safety of the residents in Amador County, a rural region located about 135 miles east of San Francisco. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Redman expressed his concern about the law’s impact on his ability to protect his community.
“This law is almost like re-victimizing the victim again,” Redman said. “How can you tell me that I have to let somebody who is here illegally and has committed a heinous crime go back into society?” He argued that the law ties the hands of local law enforcement, preventing them from taking necessary action when faced with individuals who may pose a danger to public safety.
“I was elected to be the sheriff of Amador County, where public safety is my No. 1 priority,” he explained. “I’m just not willing to make that choice to let dangerous individuals back on the streets.”
Redman’s defiance of SB 54 has not gone unnoticed. While other sheriffs in California have expressed their dissatisfaction with the sanctuary law, Redman has taken the rare step of openly declaring his intent to violate it. His announcement has drawn both support and criticism, putting him at odds with the state’s political leadership, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has pledged to uphold SB 54.
Bonta’s office insists that federal courts have found SB 54 to be consistent with federal law and emphasized the importance of “protecting immigrant communities.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, the attorney general’s office maintained that the law is designed to ensure that local resources are focused on fighting crime, not on assisting federal immigration enforcement, despite the overlap between the two.
Critics of SB 54 argue that the law allows criminal illegal immigrants to evade proper legal consequences. California Republican Party Chair Corrin Rankin told Fox News that Redman’s position echoed concerns from law enforcement officers statewide. “California’s sanctuary state law makes it harder to stop violent criminals,” Rankin argued, asserting that local officials should have the discretion to cooperate with federal immigration authorities when necessary.
Amador County, with a population of around 42,000 residents, is home to a small immigrant community, with about 6% of its population being foreign-born. However, Redman pointed to the presence of illegal immigrant gangs operating in the area as evidence of the growing security concerns.
This added layer of criminal activity has further fueled his decision to challenge SB 54, as he believes that working with federal authorities would enhance the county’s ability to combat organized crime and keep residents safe.
In February, Redman publicly announced his stance on the sanctuary law through a release posted to the Amador County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. This came in response to residents’ questions about how his office would handle immigration-related matters under the Trump administration’s second term.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) pointed to David Mora’s case, where ICE requested to be notified of Mora’s release after he was arrested for assaulting a California Highway Patrol officer. Mora, however, was released due to the sanctuary law, and weeks later, he killed his three daughters and a chaperone before taking his own life. Kiley argued that tragedies like this could have been prevented if local law enforcement had been allowed to cooperate with ICE.
Nearly half of Amador County’s voters are registered Republicans, a demographic that leans toward supporting Redman’s position on immigration enforcement. The sheriff has also received backing from some local Democrats who agree with his stance, calling it a matter of common sense.
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I believe that any entity, which is funded by taxpayers’ money be immediately DEFUNDED for FAILING or REFUSING to cooperate with Immigration officials attempting to remove dangerous entities from our ENTIRE country.
This is not to say that I or anyone that I know, is against immigration per se; We are are against UNCONTROLLED, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION that allows DANGEROUS entities to enter the country.
This country WAS founded by IMMIGRANTS, so to speak; it was BUILT by immigrant laborer’s, who came into the country LEGALLY; some of them brought the tools of their trade; they pitched in and built a great country.
These were not people who were not a DANGER to society; they came to the NEW WORLD, or COUNTRY to build a better life for their families,, not for a Handout