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The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was the first in Indiana to announce a move to better cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
File Photo / WFYIPresident Donald Trump has declared the deportation of immigrants who are in the United States without legal status as a top priority. Executive orders on the federal and state levels have prioritized this issue in recent weeks, and called on local law enforcement to assist.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office was the first in Indiana to announce a move to better cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Last month the county named Chief Deputy John Lowes as the head of a new immigration commission. This commission falls under the Immigration and Nationality Act — Section 287(g) was added in 1996.
Section 287(g) enables ICE to partner with federal and local law enforcement agencies “to identify and remove incarcerated criminal aliens who are amenable to removal from the U.S. before they are released into the community.”
There are two different ways the 287(g) program works. The Jail Enforcement Model identifies individuals without legal status who are facing charges and have been arrested by local law enforcement.
The Warrant Service Officer program lets ICE train, certify and authorize state and local law enforcement to carry out warrants.
WFYI reached out to central Indiana sheriff’s departments to see if they would be following in Hamilton County’s footsteps to establish a immigration commission. Many responded that they are already working with ICE, while some expressed a lack of staffing or resources to be able to implement these efforts.
Boone County, for example, said it was checking into the details of the 287(g) ICE Warrant Officer training that is provided in South Carolina. Public Information Officer Morganne Carpenter said current procedure involves communication with ICE.
“It is policy of the Boone County Sheriff’s Office that immigration authorities are contacted regarding all foreign-born individuals arrested for any crime and has been our policy for several years,” the statement read.
In Boone County a detainer questionnaire is completed by staff. It is based on self-reported information from the person who was arrested and previous interaction with law enforcement.
Marion County said they have a long standing policy where they transmit data to ICE twice a day, as directed by Indiana code. In a statement the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said it recognizes and acts on ICE detainers.
In Tippecanoe County, Sheriff Robert Goldsmith said they will continue their practice of notifying ICE when needed.
“I do consider my office a medium to large office,” Goldsmith said. “But I do not have the manpower to put team members through the training.”
One barrier that counties face is funding for training for officers for an immigration commission and other duties related to warrants. A new bill before the Indiana legislature would address that.
Senate Bill 430 would establish an agreement where the Department of Homeland Security would provide grants for local law enforcement to help carry out 287(g) programs.
A press release from Hamilton County stated that deputies benefit from this partnership by receiving “specialized training to identify and address individuals posing threats to public safety.”
Two other central Indiana counties said they do not have any current plans for an immigration commission. Madison County Sheriff John Beeman said they are not engaged with the 287(g) program right now.
“I need more details and clarifications before making any further decision on the matter,” Beeman said in an email.
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