Marin County Could Halt New Detention Facilities For Up To 45 Days

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Marin County supervisors will consider a 45-day moratorium on new or expanded detention and correctional facilities in unincorporated areas Tuesday.

The proposed ban would allow officials to evaluate potential health, safety and infrastructure impacts and address gaps in land-use regulations, according to a county news release.

If approved, the ordinance would take effect immediately, prohibiting the construction, conversion, expansion or operation of affected facilities. It would also suspend permit applications for those uses.

The proposal follows federal plans for immigration detention facilities near Gilroy and Dublin, which raised concerns about water and wastewater capacity, emergency access and impacts on surrounding communities.

“A building doesn’t become suitable for detention simply because it can be converted,” Community Development Agency Director Sarah Jones said in the release.

“We need to understand how a facility would operate and whether the surrounding infrastructure can support it,” Jones added.

The moratorium would apply to publicly and privately operated facilities, subject to state and federal law. It would not halt federal immigration enforcement or close existing detention centers.

State law allows supervisors to extend the moratorium for up to two years, including the initial 45-day period, following additional public hearings.

The proposal follows the board's Oct. 20 adoption of a separate policy restricting the use of county property, resources and confidential information in connection with federal immigration enforcement.

Residents can attend Tuesday's meeting in person or remotely.