BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County supervisors sparred openly Tuesday over a proposal to use up to $50,000 in county funds to help people released from ICE custody return to their home communities, then voted unanimously to send the measure to committee without approving any spending.
- The proposal would have funded transportation, overnight lodging and meals for people released from ICE custody through a county-contracted service provider, including for travel to destinations outside California.
- Supervisors Jeff Flores and Leticia Perez clashed sharply over whether county tax dollars should cover the cost, with Perez calling Flores "a coward" from the dais.
- The board directed the Finance and Administration Committee to determine whether a gap in existing services exists and who, if anyone, should pay to fill it.
The clash erupted during what began as a routine policy discussion. County staff told supervisors that some individuals released from ICE custody arrive without phones, identification or money and need help arranging travel back to their communities. The proposed $50,000 would have flowed through a service provider to cover transportation, lodging and meals.
Jeannie Parent, coordinator for Kern Welcoming and Extending Solidarity to Immigrants, or KWESI, told the board that community organizations currently depend on donations to provide that help.
"They're just told, 'Okay, the bus station's over there.' A lot of them don't have their stuff. They don't have a phone. Some of them haven't even been given their wallet back," Parent said.
Supervisor Jeff Flores questioned whether county residents' tax dollars should underwrite the assistance, arguing that programs already on the books may address the need.
"What evidence do we have that they're contributing to homelessness?" Flores said.
Supervisor Leticia Perez pushed back, maintaining that existing programs fall short when it comes to getting people back to their home communities quickly.
"If they have no place to sleep tonight in Kern County, they are homeless in Kern County," Perez said.
The exchange intensified from there. Perez called Flores "a coward" before the board moved to a vote.
Despite the acrimony, supervisors were unanimous in their decision: no funding was approved. Instead, the proposal was forwarded to the Finance and Administration Committee with direction to assess whether current programs leave a gap, and if so, who should be responsible for closing it.
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