Santa Barbara District Attorney John Savrnoch issued a stinging denunciation of Thursday morning’s military-style raid of a Carpinteria cannabis greenhouse by about 40-50 ICE agents, stating, “These raids were not a response to a direct threat to the safety of the citizens of the United States or the Central Coast,” adding, “The actions of [July 10] can rightfully be viewed as an attempt to fulfill some xenophobic quota at the expense of disrupting the lives of hard-working immigrants who have become part of the fabric of our society.” Savrnoch added, “These actions should anger and scare everyone who believes in justice and the principals that this great nation was founded upon.”
Savrnoch stated his entire career had been predicated upon the promotion of public safety. But due process, he said, had to be given due consideration in the pursuit of public safety, likewise the concept of probable cause. “Political expediency, bias, racism, and vindictiveness must never be the foundation of official government action.”
Savrnoch alluded to his own family’s immigrant roots as the descendent of early-20th-century Eastern European Catholic immigrants, themselves much reviled by nativists who then argued such immigrants were not genetically equipped to participate in a democratic society. “History is a great teacher, and the world has seen the disastrous consequences of leaders who incite populations by vilifying an entire class of people.”
He stressed the importance of the First Amendment and the freedom to assemble it enshrines. “This is important because when we fail to exercise our First Amendment rights, then we are in danger of losing them.”
As one of the highest profile leaders in the county’s law enforcement community, Savrnoch expressed concern about the chilling effect such raids could generate among the immigrant community towards law enforcement in general; victims of crimes would not come forward for fear of deportation. “I do not want anyone to exacerbate their suffering by failing to report victimization due to fear of immigration enforcement action,” he said. “This is a concern shared by other county officials who want to make certain that fear does not prevent individuals from seeking necessary or mental health services.”
In that vein, Savrnoch stressed that county officials “do not participate in immigration enforcement actions.”
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