A Southern California sheriff’s department is sending a message to the community following two incidents involving white department vehicles that it says were “targeted” after being mistaken for Immigration and Customs Enforcement units.
“All white vehicles are NOT ICE,” read Thursday’s post on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s X account.
The times and locations of the incidents were not shared, but the post did detail a dangerous situation in at least one of the run-ins.
“We have had two incidents of our sheriff’s department personnel targeted while driving our unmarked units and in one case they were run off the road,” the post reads.
It also explained that the fleet of unmarked vehicles comes in multiple colors, with various makes and models used for different assignments, but notes that none of these include immigration enforcement.
“Let’s clear up the confusion and protect everyone in our community,” the post reads.
San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus has told the community that his deputies are not involved in immigration enforcement.
“I want to assure everyone that our primary duty is to protect all community members, regardless of immigration status,” he said in a statement in May, at the same time as federal agents stepped up raids at workplaces and gathering places for day laborers across Southern California.
He has lived in San Bernardino County for more than 40 years and was elected in 2022, according to the Sheriff’s Department website.
