Sheriff reappointed to border committee

Originally published January 13, 2010

By Gina Gallucci-White
News-Post Staff

Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins has been reappointed to a committee on immigration and border security for the National Sheriffs' Association.

The group was a subcommittee when Jenkins joined it last year, but has been made a formal standing committee that will meet twice a year.

Jenkins said he is happy to be reappointed and hopes the association will weigh in on issues related to illegal immigration.

The committee is made up of 15 members from all over the United States, including Alabama, Florida and Arizona, said Fred Wilson, NSA director of operations. The committee will be led by Cochise County, Ariz., Sheriff Larry Dever, who also led the subcommittee.

Jenkins helped to bring the 287(g) program to Frederick County. The program is a partnership between the sheriff's office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sixteen corrections officers and 10 deputies have been trained to help ICE officials arrest and deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 575 illegal immigrants have been detained by the county since the partnership began in February 2008.

The committee will meet Jan. 21 in Washington for the association's winter conference, and Jenkins plans to attend. He thinks the group will define its mission and work on ideas to help establish policy at the national level.

"I am going to be actively involved," he said

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