Thread: 13 Texas Counties Seek Authority from Trump to Enforce Immigration Law

The law enforcement agencies, mostly in rural South Texas and along the coast, have applied to enroll in the 287(g) agreement.


March 22, 2017
by Melissa del Bosque

At least 13 law enforcement agencies in Texas have applied to collaborate with federal immigration authorities through a controversial program, according to a document obtained by the Observer.

If approved, the number of Texas law enforcement agencies enrolled in the 287(g) partnership, which delegates to local police the authority to enforce immigration law, would increase more than fivefold.

Currently, only three Texas agencies participate in 287(g): the Lubbock and Jackson county sheriff’s departments and the Carrollton Police Department.

All 13 Texas applicants are sheriff’s offices, mostly in rural South Texas and along the coast. Five other law enforcement agencies outside Texas also applied. (Full list below.)

Under the type of 287(g) arrangement sought by the sheriffs, their deputies would be trained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to serve as immigration agents in the jail. Under the program, deputies could question people in detention about their immigration status and place immigration detainers on inmates.

In April, the counties’ applications will go before the ICE 287(g) Program Advisory Board for review.


ICE agents train local officers under the 287(g) program. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

At its peak in 2009, at least 70 local law enforcement agencies around the country were enrolled in 287(g). But many agencies pulled out over criticism that participation spurred racial profiling and cost local taxpayers too much. Harris County left the voluntary program last month, because newly elected Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the $675,000 price tag was too steep.

But in late January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called on local and state police to act as immigration officials and urged a crack-down on “sanctuary jurisdictions.”

In Texas, state police appear to be ramping up their cooperation with immigration enforcement, while legislators are debating a controversial measure to punish locals jails that don’t fully cooperate with ICE.

Chris Rickerd, policy counsel for the ACLU’s National Political Advocacy Department, said the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants and the expansion of 287(g) program will only make communities less safe.

“When the public isn’t sure whether police are there to protect or deport them, crimes don’t get reported and domestic violence survivors stay silent rather than calling 911,” Rickerd said. ”Sheriffs should leave federal immigration enforcement to Washington, D.C., rather than divisively subsidizing and enrolling in Trump’s deportation force.”

The following list was provided by the ACLU:

Texas counties:

Aransas County Sheriff’s Office

Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office

Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office

Chambers County Sheriff’s Office

DeWitt County Sheriff’s Office

Galveston County Sheriff’s Office

Goliad County Sheriff’s Office

Lavaca County Sheriff’s Office

Matagorda County Sheriff’s Office

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office

Refugio County Sheriff’s Office

Walker County Sheriff’s Office

Wharton County Sheriff’s Office

Non-Texas counties:

Clay County Sheriff’s Office— Florida

Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office—Virginia

Horry County Sheriff’s Office—South Carolina

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office—Florida

Knox County Sheriff’s Office—Tennessee

https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-...thorities-ice/

YIPPEE!!! LETS GO TEXAS!!! THANK YOU 13 TEXAS COUNTIES!!! LETS GET R DONE!!

Wake Up Everybody!! If we get our state and local law enforcement officers behind enforcing US immigration law with vim and vigor they've enforced US Drug Laws, we'd have 30 million illegal aliens out of the United States by November 2018.

LETS ROLL!!

Here's the numbers:

800,000 sworn, equipped, paid, trained state and local police officers in the United States. All you have to do is arrest 2 illegal aliens per month per officer on average and in one month arrest 3. That's 1.6 million illegal aliens every month. That's 19.2 illegal aliens per year plus 800,000 in that arrest 3 month, that's 20 million illegal aliens in 12 months, that's 30 million illegal aliens in .... 18 months.

Now if you love our country, if you love our liberty, if you love our citizens and want the best for both our nation and our people, every single one of you will be on this like flies on honey. If you don't jump on this and help our poor beleaguered country to solve this problem, then you will have missed the opportunity to be part of saving our country and will instead have chosen to be part of what destroyed it.

There's a line in the sand. And you have to pick a side. Either you're with US or you're against US.

This is war.