The Marin County TRUTH Act forum on March 10, 2026, really put a spotlight on how North Bay agencies work with federal immigration authorities. From San Rafael to Mill Valley, activists, residents, and county officials all showed up to hash out concerns about ICE referrals, deputies’ enforcement practices, and the big question: how can Marin County keep federal immigration enforcement out of its neighborhoods?
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What the TRUTH Act Forum Revealed in Marin
Supervisor meetings and public testimony in Tamalpais Valley, Sausalito, and Novato made it clear—there’s widespread fear and uncertainty when it comes to federal crackdowns. People in Marin City and Corte Madera demanded more transparency and pressed for changes to limit cooperation with ICE.
The forum laid out the numbers behind ICE referrals and, honestly, the human impact on families and neighborhoods across Marin is hard to ignore.
Key Numbers and Actions
Some figures from 2025 kept coming up in policy debates in places like San Anselmo and Fairfax:
- 23 referrals to ICE in 2025, up from 14 in 2024
- The Marin County Sheriff’s Office made only four arrests; most happened through other regional agencies
- Of the 23 referrals, 21 were Hispanic and two Asian; all were male
- Marin got 141 ICE notifications in 2025
Sheriff Jamie Scardina said these referrals don’t mean his agency is deporting people. The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t run immigration sweeps.
He mentioned that fingerprints and booking data go to the California Department of Justice, which then shares info with federal agencies. ICE notifications still come through this data channel—not from on-the-ground sweeps in Novato or San Rafael.
Policies, Procedures, and the Sheriff’s Position
During talks in San Rafael’s courthouse square and at county offices in San Anselmo, Scardina explained that the Sheriff’s Office only notifies ICE when someone faces charges for serious or violent crimes. He pointed to offenses like felony DUI with injury, burglary, robbery, sex crimes, and other major violations.
He stressed that enforcement actions are about criminal charges, not immigration status. Marin County residents deserve to know when and why ICE is involved, he said. The office’s job is to handle county-level criminal cases, not enforce immigration laws.
Local jurisdictions—from Ross to Sausalito, Mill Valley to Corte Madera—are watching how data-sharing policies affect public safety and trust. The California DOJ’s data-sharing framework shapes how Marin County deputies interact with federal authorities, which worries immigrant families in Novato and San Rafael and even business owners in San Anselmo and Larkspur.
Activists, Community Voices, and Proposed Changes
Advocates across Marin want to see policy changes that would reduce or cut off ties with ICE. They called for ending participation in the SCAAP program, taking down public jail logs that show inmate names, and refusing ICE requests unless there’s a judicial warrant.
Activists argued that any visible ICE presence—especially when officers wear masks or don’t identify themselves—just erodes trust and keeps people from showing up to public meetings in Marin City, Sausalito, or Tiburon.
County officials admitted there’s tension between transparency and safety. They’re looking at restricting public access to the inmate roster and rethinking how much information about detainees is out there.
They also pointed out that Marin has put about $500,000 twice toward immigration services and support. That shows a broader commitment to community resources in places like San Rafael, Fairfax, and Ross—even as the county tries to keep federal enforcement at bay.
What This Means for Marin Communities: North Bay Life and Public Confidence
People living in Marin—from Sausalito’s waterfront to Mill Valley’s hillsides, and even out by the farms near Petaluma—face a tough balancing act. They want safety but also want to protect civil liberties.
Supervisors in Marin’s city corridors, along with community leaders in Novato and those towns near San Pablo, keep pushing to end ICE notifications. They want to prevent federal immigration enforcement from deciding when and where folks in places like Corte Madera or San Rafael can get help.
The forum brought together voices from all over Marin County. Whether you’re near the Greenbrae corridor or tucked away in the lanes of San Geronimo Valley, people showed up to debate how Marin should handle immigration enforcement in the future.
Here is the source article for this story: Marin County’s TRUTH Act forum reveals how a blue county responds to national ICE crackdown
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