The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department has continued notifying ICE, with 132 notifications in 2024 and 55 in 2025, despite the California Values Act (SB 54) limiting local immigration enforcement to build trust with immigrant communities. The notifications have chilled community willingness to report crimes and seek protection, prompting a call for a zero-cooperation policy with ICE. Concord lacks a labor and delivery unit after John Muir Health assumed control of Mt. Diablo Medical Center, forcing expectant mothers to travel to Walnut Creek, increasing travel times and health risks amid rapid local population growth.
In 2017, the California Legislature passed the California Values Act ( SB 54), which restricts local law enforcement from using their resources for immigration enforcement, except in limited cases. The law was designed to build trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities so that all residents feel safe reporting crimes and seeking protection. Yet in 2024, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department notified ICE 132 times.
Today, Concord has no labor and delivery unit. Expectant mothers must travel to Walnut Creek, which has two hospitals providing maternity care. Concord has nearly double the population of Walnut Creek and is far more diverse and less affluent. This forces families to face long travel times during labor, increasing risks for both mothers and babies. Studies show that travel delays over 20 minutes can raise the chances of complications and neonatal death.
Collection
[
|
...
]