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DHS responds to county report on immigration detention surge

Aug 18, 2026 · San Diego, CA, Mexico

DHS responds to county report on immigration detention surge

San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez transferred 83 inmates to ICE custody in 2025, nearly tripling the 30 transfers made in 2024. The increase was driven by 53 federal ICE warrants, many issued under Operation Guardian Angel, a federal initiative using judicial warrants to bypass sanctuary law limits. The transfers included individuals with both violent and nonviolent convictions, and approximately 30 violated county policy. Community members, immigrant advocates, and some supervisors urged Martinez to end ICE cooperation, but she defended the practice as safer than community-based enforcement and declined to change the policy.

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