Reports of Riverside County deputies conducting immigration raids are 'simply not true': Sheriff

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- Amid growing concerns over immigration enforcement and the actions of the federal government under the new Trump administration, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco took to social media on Thursday to address what he described as "misinformation."

"The Riverside County Sheriff's Office and your deputies have not, are not and will not engage in any type of immigration enforcement," Bianco said in a videotaped message published on social media. That is the sole responsibility of the federal government."

Reports of deputies conducting raids at schools, businesses and churches "are simply not true," the sheriff said.

The Sheriff's Office has "spent years building a positive relationship with our immigrant communities, many of which have an inherent fear of law enforcement from the experiences in the countries from which they have fled," Bianco said. He added: "We are not like other places."

The sheriff said his agency will cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to remove undocumented criminal from jail. He also described California's "sanctuary" laws as "dangerous."

President Donald Trump's campaign promise of mass deportations has raised expectations of large-scale operations. ICE averaged 787 arrests a day from Jan. 23 to Jan. 31, compared to a daily average of 311 during a 12-month period ended Sept. 30 during the Biden administration. ICE has stopped publishing daily arrests totals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.