In a video posted to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Instagram account in February, Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco said there has been an “alarming increase in the concern over law enforcement and immigration.” He went on to state that he believes this is due to misinformation coming from politicians, immigration activists and media headlines.
Immigrant populations across the country have become more wary of police in the wake of the mass deportations that have been ordered by the Trump administration and carried out mainly by Homeland Security. In the first three months of 2025 alone, the administration has made over 113,000 arrests and deported over 100,000 people.
Multiple cases have come to light of immigrants and visitors of full legal status being detained by the United States (U.S.) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while in the U.S.or at the border attempting to enter. Stories like that of Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney being arrested at the border as she applied for a new visa only serve to heighten fear.
Mooney was denied her new visa at the border, denied re-entry into Mexico and made to sleep on the floor in an empty room at the border for three days before she was officially arrested by ICE and taken to a detention center. She was never charged with a crime and released after 11 days.
This is one of many cases in which ICE arrests have taken place with no illegal activity involved. The claim by the Trump administration that immigrants are criminals has been debunked numerous times. Research indicates that immigrants are less likely to break the law than U.S. born citizens.
The fear immigrants have of ICE agents appears to extend to local police, Bianco claims. In the Instagram video, he attempts to dispel these fears by assuring that Riverside deputies “have not, are not and will not engage” in immigration enforcement.
This statement aligns with California’s sanctuary law, otherwise known as Senate Bill 54, which prohibits local law enforcement from using public funding to play a direct role in immigration enforcement. They are also prohibited from transferring people to immigration authorities, except in cases where people have been convicted of a violent felony or misdemeanor.
Before this, Sheriff Bianco stated in an interview with Fox 11 L.A last November that he was willing to “work around” SB 54 in order to “deport these people that are victimizing us and victimizing my residents.” He was not present at the Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting where the county’s executive officer and county counsel were directed to evaluate how “law abiding” undocumented immigrants’ data is collected, managed and stored.
County personnel were also directed to evaluate existing and potential funding which could be used to support undocumented immigrants who face deportation. Despite not being present, Bianco later sent an email in which he reprimanded the board for “causing a political divide.”
