Law enforcement officials in Mendocino County are reassuring the Hispanic community that they do not intend to cooperate with any federal sweeps for undocumented immigrants if they come to town.

But at least one law enforcement official thinks moving publicly to declare Safe Havens or Sanctuaries may be a mistake.

Sheriff Tom Allman said Friday he agrees with the sentiments of a number of county sheriffs that “sheriffs are not inclined, nor do they have the resources or personnel, to conduct front-line immigration enforcement duties” and they don’t want local people to be afraid to ask for help from law enforcement if they need it.

“In other words, if the federal government comes in, we are not going to be on the front line at all,” Allman said.

However, Allman said he wants to be notified that federal agents are in town and he wants one of his own deputies to accompany them wherever they go so that if something goes wrong, he has a department witness to what happened.

“I want to make it clear that the sheriff will not participate in any sweeps.” Allman pointed out that anyone who gets arrested, immigrant or not, has his or her fingerprints sent to the federal Department of Justice. That won’t change, Allman said.

But he added, “We will only hold someone on immigration charges if we have a signed warrant from a federal magistrate. A phone call will not hold an illegal immigrant.”

Allman noted that this is not a new policy.

“Our policy is no different. Public safety is our job. Whether someone is a violent citizen or a violent non-citizen we will arrest them.”

City of Ukiah Police Chief Chris Dewey says he worries about possible federal action in our community since 30 to 40 percent of local residents are Hispanic.

“I understand the Hispanic population is a large part of our community. I have instructed my officers to contact me immediately if they have any contact with a federal agency,” Dewey said Friday.

“We’ve always taken a stance that only in the most serious of felony cases, like murder or sexual assault, involving undocumented immigrants, have we utilized federal resources to assist us. On a day-to-day basis we have not, and will not, be working with federal authorities on investigations of undocumented immigrants,” Dewey said.

There is some discussion in town and among city officials as to whether the city should declare itself a “Sanctuary City,” something that is broadly defined as a place where undocumented immigrants would be safe from law enforcement. The term appears to have no concrete definition, and cities considering it are also wondering if making a declaration means putting a neon sign in front of federal enforcement officials.

The Ukiah Unified School District last week declared its schools Safe Havens for children of undocumented local residents.

Most state schools, including Mendocino County schools, do not ask for or record immigration status of students. UUSD Superintendent Debra Kubin said that while the district would have to obey any signed orders or warrants to see files, she thinks the message should be that local children should not have to worry that they or their parents are going to be deported.

“I have heard instances, and personally as well, that kids are afraid their parents are going to be detained and their parents are going to be deported. Or that they themselves are going to be returned to Mexico. They’ve said to friends, ‘You may not see me; I may have to go back to Mexico.’ They’re really scared.”

Allman, however, thinks the school district may have made a mistake.

“I personally believe that the community can accomplish a lot more when they have not become a lightning rod,” he said. Allman believes that the schools and local governments could quietly communicate with the Hispanic community that they plan to follow the laws — which require signed warrants and prohibit schools from disclosing information anyway — rather than take loud public stands.

“I think the school board should have at least talked to the Sheriff’s Office, because we are the ones who enforce the laws here. The fact is, they can’t legally keep a federal agent off campus. What they’re doing is rattling their saber and becoming a lightning rod, when all we have to do is respect the laws that are already on the books and accomplish the exact some thing.”

“Emotions can scare people and emotions can calm people,” Allman continued. “By declaring a school district a Safe Haven they’re creating emotions on all sides, and there are 20 sides to this conversation. The very people the school people are trying to protect become more scared.”

Allman said it’s important to remember that historically, federal agents do not come to town and do not bother with undocumented immigrants unless they have committed a violent crime. He said he has been told that there are only three federal immigration agents posted between Pleasanton, Calif. and the Oregon border. He said there have been no visits to the county by federal immigration teams recently, despite some panicked Facebook posts.

“One of the things we’ve received from federal agents is requests to hold an individual after their time of incarceration (at the county jail). We didn’t, we aren’t, nor will we, hold any individual unless we have a signed warrant from a federal magistrate. If federal agents want to be there when they’re released from jail OK, but I have never seen that happen,” he said.

“We could use our rural county status to our advantage. Just do our business, and if someone breaks the law, they get arrested.” Allman said federal agents, even with fingerprints in hand, have only ever come after violent offenders.

“With all the illegal immigrants we have had in custody on marijuana charges, I’m not aware of a single one picked up by immigration,” he said.