“I come from a mixed‑status family,” said Hermosillo. “I understand the impacts. I also understand the impacts of when you come to the United States, there are laws that we all have to follow.” District One Sonoma County Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo was elected in January as board chair for 2026. She sits down with KRCB News to discuss what she says is the need for innovative planning in light of federal budget cuts, particularly around affordable housing, nonprofit support and keeping vulnerable residents connected to services. photo credit: Courtesy of Hermosillo’s official Facebook pageRebecca Hermosillo was elected county supervisor in Nov. 2024.
KRCB NEWS: You and the majority of the board have taken a quieter, more strategic approach rather than a loud public stance. Many constituents are calling for an explicit break from ICE collaboration to pressure the sheriff’s office. You’ve held your stance that a non‑collaboration or sanctuary ordinance wouldn’t change policy, would target the county, and that more effective work is happening through the immigrant ad hoc committee. What specific actions have been taken, and are being taken now, to protect immigrant communities in Sonoma County?
HERMOSILLO: So, this is a very nuanced issue that we are all trying to navigate. It’s very complicated. It is very challenging for me personally because I come from a mixed‑status family. That said, I know how important it is to do the right thing for the constituents — all constituents — and we’re getting a lot of feedback on both sides.
While there is a vocal group of folks asking for a sanctuary ordinance, there are still a lot of folks reaching out to us saying we’re doing the right thing for a variety of reasons. Some are maybe more conservative and think we should be cooperating with ICE more. Some are saying it’s a hard issue to navigate, but we’re doing the right thing because we’re only going to be a bullseye for ICE if we do. And I don’t want to daylight our work to the federal administration and have them come here and start taking more of our constituents…