Bay Area Headlines

Marin County activists demand end to ICE funding program

KALW | By Sunni Khalid

Published January 21, 2026 at 1:57 PM PST

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers wear gear that may say "Police ICE," "Police HSI," or just "Police." Photo: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nearly 100 community activists filled the Marin County Board of Supervisors chambers last night.

They were there to demand the board end the Marin County Sheriff's Office's participation in a funding program with ICE, or at least place the issue on the county's agenda for debate.

The program is called the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, or SCAAP. It's administered by the Department of Justice, or DOJ, in conjunction with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.

SCAAP funds are used to pay states and local governments to cover officer salary costs incurred for jailing immigrants lacking permanent legal status.

To determine eligibility to receive funds, local law enforcement must provide a detainee's name, date of birth, country of birth, and other personal information with the DOJ.

According to DOJ records, Marin County received nearly 340-thousand dollars in SCAAP funding in 2024.

Other counties in California have rejected SCAAP grants, including San Francisco. City officials have said accepting funds would be inconsistent with the city's sanctuary ordinance due to the sharing of immigrant data.