As a local City Council member, I hear from people who have questions about illegal immigration. To get answers, I recently attended a town hall event in El Monte that was organized by the office of Rep. Grace Napolitano. The meeting presented facts about the current status of illegal immigration policies in California.

The key speaker was Jorge R. Field, acting deputy field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mr. Field is a 20-year veteran of ICE and works in the Enforcement and Removal Operations department at the Los Angeles office. Napolitano referred to Field as her “go-to person” when constituents contact her regarding immigration concerns.

During the meeting, we learned that ICE has two separate divisions with different staff, protocol and funding. Homeland Security investigates a range of immigration issues deemed potential threats to the national safety of the United States, while Enforcement and Removal Operations, or “ERO,” is responsible for maintaining compliance with immigration laws and removals.

ICE ERO’s mission is to locate and deport individuals who are in the United States illegally, and they prioritize cases of those who have been recently released from incarceration. These are individuals who have had their cases heard in court, completed the appeals process, were found guilty, served time and are now eligible for deportation.

ICE is a federal agency and does not receive state funding. California laws limit ICE access to convicted criminals and, as a result, ICE does not ask for information or assistance from local law enforcement. ICE follows a “Sensitive Locations Policy” that prohibits making arrests at California schools, hospitals and churches. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA students cannot be arrested unless they commit crimes or violate the terms of their status. ICE does not conduct raids, pay bounties or participate in police checkpoints.

In California, many residents who are here illegally do not feel safe reporting crimes or coming forward as witnesses because of fear of deportation. In an effort to ease this problem, state and local police are not tasked with handling immigration work. Local police do not arrest, detain or deport undocumented residents, and are not in cooperation with ICE.

Recently, two laws were passed at the state capitol in Sacramento that dramatically changed the way ICE is able to interview and make arrests in California. The Trust Act (AB4) and Truth Act (AB2792) prohibit police, the county and the state of California from sharing information with ICE about “convicted criminal illegal aliens.” Rather than being deported immediately upon completion of their sentences, these individuals are now allowed to return to the community, and ICE must search for them within society.

When a suspect is initially fingerprinted, information enters various databases for agencies such as the FBI and local police. This is the first and only notification ICE receives from the state of California regarding the arrest. ICE uses this information to follow cases online, predict when prisoners will be released, and locate them at large. Due to the passage of the Trust Act and Truth Act, there has been a rapid increase in the number of convicted illegal criminals who remain in our neighborhoods.

ICE also has specific guidelines and protocols for children and families. If a child appears to have arrived in the United States illegally, either at the border or airport, he or she is detained by Homeland Security. Children are not held in detention centers and are never left alone without adult supervision. When a family with children is detained, they remain together and are housed in a hotel for 72 hours until they have longer term placement during formal immigration hearing proceedings. Detainees have 24/7 access to attorneys, elected representatives and consular visits.

If children are living with a convicted criminal who is arrested for deportation, the minors are placed with an alternate parent or adult family member. If a family member is not available, a safe, secure placement is found for children in the United States, not in an ICE or jail facility.

In closing the meeting, Mr. Field offered this advice: If you need help with immigration matters, feel safe contacting your local congressperson’s office. They will refer you to a reputable assistance agency.

Be aware that there are fraudulent immigration “assistance” groups that will take advantage of vulnerable people. Warning indicators are an attempt to require you to “sign up” or pay monies upfront.

There are reputable non-profit agencies that offer free assistance.

Judy Nelson is a member of the Glendora City Council.