A San Francisco Bay Area sheriff's office says it allowed federal deportation officers to enter the jail it operates and interview four inmates in violation of the agency's pro-immigrant sanctuary policies.
Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith told NBC Bay Area that members of her staff "mistakenly" let U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers enter their facility March 7 and 8.
She said none of the four inmates were detained by ICE.
Smith said that after learning of the incident the sheriff's office reevaluated and strengthened measures for admitting law enforcement agencies to their facilities.
She also said ICE attempted to re-enter the facility again on March 14 and March 26, but they were denied entry.
"The County of Santa Clara has a policy of not cooperating with ICE operations. The Sheriff’s Office does not accept ICE holds and has a longstanding policy of not allowing ICE agents access to our custody facilities," Smith told NBC Bay Area in a statement.
The inmate interviews took place the same week that Attorney General Jeff Sessions sued California over the state's so-called sanctuary laws, escalating a feud between the state and the Trump administration.
