**VENTURA COUNTY **— In a direct response to what he calls "misconceptions and lies," Sheriff Jim Fryhoff is using raw data to explain why his jails aren't helping with federal immigration sweeps.
Speaking at a community forum in February 2026, Fryhoff highlighted that nearly 90% of ICE requests in Ventura County are legally ignored.
The conflict stems from Senate Bill 54, California’s "Sanctuary State" law, which strictly limits how local police can interact with federal agents.
**In the Sheriff’s Own Words
Sheriff Fryhoff was blunt about the confusion currently causing panic in local neighborhoods:
- **On Misinformation: **_"I think these events are super important, so the community hears directly from the sheriff... There's a lot of misconceptions out there, a lot of lies being shared about what law enforcement is doing."_
- **On Legal Limits: **_"The only time we can communicate with immigration is if they reach out to me in the jail... and they have to meet the criteria, so serious and violent felons, and that's it."_
- **On Federal Presence: **_"There's no doubt that the presence of federal agents is creating a lot of strain in the relationship that we have with our community."_
Simple Facts: The Numbers
The Sheriff’s new SB 54 Transparency Dashboard breaks down a year's worth of data in simple terms:
- **1,300 Total Requests: **ICE sent over a thousand requests for inmate information last year.
- **160 Eligible Cases: **Only 160 inmates, roughly 12%, had committed crimes serious enough (like murder or robbery) to legally allow a transfer.
- **115 Pickups: **Even when the law allowed a transfer, ICE only showed up to pick up 115 people. Because the jail cannot legally hold someone past their release date, the others were released back into the community.
The Mission: Trust Over Deportation
Fryhoff reiterated that his department's priority is local safety, not federal enforcement. "Our officers cannot and will not ask someone their status," he stated.
The goal of the new dashboard and community meetings is to ensure residents feel safe calling the police for help without the fear of being handed over to federal agents.