The county Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to launch a know-your-rights training program to provide information to small businesses and workers amid the Trump administration’s ramp-up in immigration enforcement operations, particularly in workplaces.
Chair Terra Lawson-Remer’s proposal passed 4-1, backed by Supervisors Monica Montgomery Steppe, Joel Anderson and Paloma Aguirre, who was sworn in earlier that day. Supervisor Jim Desmond cast the lone opposing vote.
“This is about due process, this is about the Constitution, and this is about fairness for everyone,” Lawson-Remer said, “and ensuring that our small businesses are equipped with the tools that they need to be able to operate in a just and fair way and not be intimidated by federal government overreach.”
The program will be delivered by the county’s Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement, which was established in 2021 to support workers and businesses. The office regularly provides training and online resources on wage theft prevention, fair hiring and other topics.
Funding for the new program will be included within the office’s existing budget, officials said.
Part of the plan calls for providing employers with information on how to follow the law, how to properly respond if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Homeland Security Investigations agents show up, and how to help avoid business closures.
The proposal is a response to the increased immigration enforcement operations throughout the county, particularly the raid at South Park’s Buona Forchetta restaurant in late May. Armed agents wearing tactical gear arrived at the restaurant to execute a federal search warrant, handcuffed several workers and detained four of them. Some of the restaurant’s locations temporarily closed as a result of the operation.
Lawson-Remer said in a board letter that the incident showed that many small businesses lack the information needed to respond in such instances.
“In those moments, fear takes over. Legal rights get blurred. Small business owners, who are focused on serving their community and keeping up with payroll, are thrown into crisis without a roadmap,” she said.
Desmond, who cast the sole vote in opposition, said that while he supported people knowing their rights, he was not in favor of developing and implementing a training program “without even knowing what’s in it.”
He blamed the previous presidential administration’s immigration policies, as well as California state law, which limits cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies.
“These ICE tactics may seem severe, but they’re done to protect the law enforcement officers,” he said. “We got here by not enforcing immigration laws, and when we see immigration law being enforced, actually happening, some are shocked by it.”
Aguirre criticized the enforcement tactics seen during many immigration operations as she explained her support for the proposal, saying they have “nothing to do with public safety.”
“Having this program and being able to support small businesses on what their rights are, especially when we’re seeing practices where there isn’t due process taking place, is something that we need to have,” she said.
Know-your-rights training will be offered in multiple languages. Officials said the information will also be available online for employers who cannot attend an in-person session.
The program will be developed in collaboration with small business organizations, chambers of commerce, legal experts and worker advocates.
Originally Published: July 22, 2025 at 5:10 PM PDT