Thread: Knox sheriff meets with immigration officials on proposed 287g program

Knox sheriff meets with immigration officials on proposed program

By Don Jacobs
Posted April 17, 2012 at 11:52 a.m.

KNOXVILLE — Knox County Sheriff Jimmy "J.J." Jones met Monday with federal immigration officials to discuss adopting a program that screens inmates for illegal entry into the country.

Jones and several of his administration were slated to meet today with agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency but bumped it up a day to "alleviate the misinformation and circus-like atmosphere" that has evolved around the issue, according to a release from the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

A group of Hispanic advocate organizations has joined to form Knoxville United Against Racism Coalition. The coalition has been holding rallies and repeatedly trying to meet with Jones about the proposed ICE program.

Jones has consistently refused to discuss with the coalition and the media the proposed 287(g) program that involves training local officers to enforce federal immigration laws. Jones said he'll meet with the coalition and the media after he met with ICE officials, but declined to comment today.

According to the Sheriff's Office, the 287(g) program would involve corrections officers only and would not include training patrol officers on enforcing federal immigration laws.

The next step for the Sheriff's Office is to review a proposed memorandum of agreement with ICE. That agreement, however, is still under review by federal authorities, as are all 287(g) agreements across the country, according to the Sheriff's Office.

If an agreement is signed, local and federal officials will determine if the Sheriff's Office requires special computer equipment or software to integrate with existing ICE computer programs.

"Any equipment will be supplied by ICE," states the Sheriff's Office release.

ICE also would pay all expenses to train eight officers during a five-week program in South Carolina. ICE also proposes putting a full-time supervisor at the Knox County Sheriff's Detention Facility to assure procedures are followed, the Sheriff's Office release states.

That supervisor would be on call when not on duty at the jail.

Jones said a time frame has not been set for moving forward with the agreement and "there are still many variables to be considered before the program could be implemented."

"If my decision is to move forward with this program, it will be because of my concern for the safety of Knox County residents," Jones said in the release.

More details as they develop online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel.

Knox sheriff meets with immigration officials on proposed program » Knoxville News Sentinel

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