The number of individuals picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spiked at the Ventura County jail last year.
In California, state law prohibits most cooperation with federal immigration agencies but gives the Ventura County Sheriff's Office and other jurisdictions the option to notify ICE when some individuals are released from jail. That is, if those people meet specific criteria such as having convictions, or being held to answer after a preliminary hearing, for offenses such as robbery, residential burglary or rape.
Of the around 169 notifications in 2025, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office reported federal agents picked up two-thirds or 114. That was more than double the number picked up in either of the previous two years.
Sheriff Jim Fryhoff described the decision to continue notifying ICE in those cases as a difficult one but one he does "to keep the community safe from people who have chosen to violate the law."
"As the chief law enforcement official in the county, my job is to protect the public, and I do so by weighing decisions such as whether or not I'm going to communicate with immigration where I'm allowed," the sheriff said, speaking in front of the county's Board of Supervisors at an Oct. 20 forum.
The Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds, or TRUTH Act, requires the public forums about such communication. Dozens of community members spoke, urging the county to stop the voluntary notifications and to make other changes. Other counties have opted not to provide the release dates, they said.
Willie Lubka, executive director of Buen Vecino, said the voluntary cooperation with immigration authorities results in separation of local families and long-lasting trauma. The practice itself is known to cause distrust in the community, said Lubka, on the steering committee of ICE Out Ventura County, a coalition of more than two dozen organizations.
"The community is safer when there is trust between all residents and county agencies," he said.
"We're hoping this is our last TRUTH Act forum ever," Lubka said. "But until the policy changes, we intend to keep coming back."
ICE picks up scores at local jail
Fryhoff explained the process, saying the immigration agency makes a request, and sheriff's office personnel then check to see if the individual meets the criteria. When an individual meets the requirements, the sheriff's office notifies ICE of the release date.
If ICE shows up, the person is then released to agents in a controlled environment, Fryhoff said. When agents aren't there, the individual is released and able to leave the facility.
In the last few years, the number of requests steadily increased while notifications initially dropped from a high of 181 in 2023 to 133 in 2024. Those same years, ICE picked up fewer than a third of the individuals, or 43 and 45 respectively.
Last year, ICE made 1,329 requests to the sheriff's office. Of those, local authorities determined that around 169 met the requirements for notifications. ICE picked up 114, according to the sheriff's presentation.
The notifications represent a small fraction of the people booked in the jail — nearly 22,000 last year, officials said. But the pickups, too, accounted for only a portion of those detained by ICE at or outside the jail.
ICE detains others being released
Even without the notifications, ICE shows up and takes people into custody when they get released from jail.
Some in the audience questioned the timing, saying they had seen situations that seemed like ICE knew when the person would be released. Fryhoff, however, said his agency does not cooperate or communicate with immigration about individuals who don't meet the criteria.
"It doesn't take very long to figure out how that process goes, and ICE has figured out that process in ways for people that they want to take into custody," Fryhoff said of the releases.
Supervisor Vianey Lopez asked the sheriff a series of questions, including about how a law prohibiting ICE from courthouses could affect federal agents at the jail facility or in nearby parking lots. At the Ventura County Government Center, the jail's lobby is located not far from the superior court building.
After the public comments, Fryhoff spoke again and responded to questions. He heard the comments, he said, and would research some of the questions. That would include looking at what the law allows his agency to do without interfering with federal agents and having deputies or himself arrested, he said.
"I'm not happy with how ICE conducts their operations. I've made that very clear," Fryhoff said.
Earlier in the forum, Jamie Sanchez, a Simi Valley resident, Navy veteran and volunteer with groups, including 805 Undocufund, told county supervisors she had witnessed the aftermath of what happens when ICE takes a family member and saw the fear that spreads through communities.
"This is not just about immigration policy. This is about children, families and the human consequences of what is happening in our communities," Sanchez said.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: ICE pickups at Ventura County jail spike
