Kern County Truth Act Forum Details 246 Valid ICE Release Requests and 31 Jail Transfers

County officials put numbers on ICE cooperation

Kern County Sheriff's officials used Tuesday's Truth Act forum to explain how the department handled federal immigration requests during 2025. Chief Deputy Joel Swanson said 29,369 people were booked into county jails that year and ICE submitted 273 requests to be notified when someone was scheduled for release.

Fourteen requests were duplicates and 13 could not be processed, leaving 246 valid requests, according to the figures reported by 23ABC. That amounted to about 0.84 percent of all jail bookings. The Sheriff's Office also reported that 31 people were transferred from county custody to ICE.

The number of transfers was higher than the previous year's reported two transfers and 19 notification requests. The comparison shows a substantial increase, but it does not establish why each request changed or whether every transferred person was ultimately deported.

What the Sheriff's Office says it does—and does not do

Swanson said the department does not enforce federal immigration law, conduct deportations or participate in immigration sweeps. He also acknowledged that the Sheriff's Office cooperates with ICE where state and federal law allow.

A release notification tells ICE when a person is expected to leave local custody. A transfer involves moving a person from county custody to federal immigration custody. Both are forms of cooperation, but they are different from deputies conducting a neighborhood immigration raid.

California law limits many local-federal immigration interactions while allowing specified exceptions. Whether a particular notification or transfer complied with those rules depends on the person's record, the legal basis for the request and the documentation held by the agencies.

Residents used the forum to challenge the policy

Several public speakers urged Kern County to reduce or end cooperation, arguing that immigrant residents may become afraid to report crimes or seek help. ACLU attorney Mayra Joachin likewise called on the county to separate local public-safety resources from federal immigration enforcement.

The annual forum exists to disclose information and receive public comment; it does not by itself change county policy. Residents seeking a policy change will need to follow future Board of Supervisors agendas, Sheriff's Office directives and any litigation or legislation that alters the governing rules.

Limits and what to watch

The Sheriff's Office said it does not conduct immigration sweeps or deportations, but it does provide notifications and transfers permitted by law; neither statement means the county has no contact with ICE.

The next development to watch is publication of the county's records for 2026, any policy changes adopted by supervisors and responses to public requests for reduced cooperation.