Protesters call on Sonoma County Sheriff to refuse to cooperate with ICE

    SONOMA COUNTY, California (KPIX) -- Marching to the beat of a drum, protesters on Thursday picketed outside of a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event calling on the Sonoma County Sheriff to not cooperate with ICE officials looking to arrest undocumented immigrants.

"Who are the people who harvest the grapes so that the wine industry can create billions of dollars for this county? Who are the people who work in the tourism industry and the service industry including the restaurant industry?" said Renee Saucedo of Santa Rosa activist organization Raizes Collective.

Renee Saucedo is one of the organizers of the protest.

She told CBS News Bay Area Sheriff Eddie Engram has refused to support the "non-collaboration with ICE" ordinance they are pushing for the county to pass.

"By speaking out publicly against it, by giving misinformation and by saying that even if an ordinance passed by the county board of supervisors he would not comply with it," said Saucedo.

Dr. Jenny Fish was one of the dozens participating in the protest. She told us she felt compelled to come out here and use her voice because so many of her undocumented patients cannot.

"Because these things are posted on social media, they're afraid. They're afraid that ICE is actually going to come. They're afraid that law enforcement is actually going to take them away. So they can't elevate their own voices. And so it's really in support of folks that can't come out and protest, that don't have the privileges that I do as a white physician," said Dr. Fish.

Sheriff Engram was at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event to speak on public safety. CBS News Bay Area reached out to his office for comment on the protest.

They replied saying the sheriff's office complies with California state laws and is committed to transparency.

Saucedo said she doesn't believe that's enough. She wants the sheriff and his office to take action to protect immigrants

"You need to support the non-collaboration with ICE policy. If you don't our community will not report crimes, we won't serve as witnesses and we won't trust the county at any level from services or for benefits," said Saucedo.

She also said the protests won't stop here. They plan on continuing to follow the sheriff around the county, protesting until he supports them.