Latest news with #ChuckJenkins
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sheriffs defend cooperation with federal officials on immigration enforcement
Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins testifies against a bill that would force his agency to cancel an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement allowing the local department to enforce federal immigration law. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Supporters of a bill that would force sheriff's departments to cancel agreements with federal immigration officials said deputies could still enforce the law just as effectively, they would just not be doing so as an extension of federal authorities. 'There are counties that do not have these formal agreements that still cooperate with ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] still honor judicial warrants, still honor containers when they are presented to them,' Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George's) said Thursday during testimony for her bill, House Bill 1222. The bill would prohibit local law enforcement agencies from entering into so-called 287(g) agreements that allow ICE to delegate some federal enforcement authorities to local officers, including the authority to arrest and check a person's immigration status through a federal database. The bill also requires those departments that have 287(g) agreements to cancel them by July 1. Six counties — Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford and Washington — currently have 287(g) agreements with ICE. Frederick and Harford sheriffs turned up at Thursday's Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee hearing to defend the program. 'Please allow the local counties to provide public safety as they see fit,' Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said. Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins said his jurisdiction has been part of the 287(g) program since 2008 and 'removed 1,795 criminals,' the majority of whom he described as 'dangerous' and 'violent.' Gahler noted that since his department signed a 287(g) agreement in 2014, ICE has chosen not to initiate action in 35% of cases there. He also pointed to the popularity of the agreements, citing a January poll by Annapolis-based Gonzales Research & Media that found 76% of people surveyed said they would support requiring local governments to cooperate with federal efforts to enforce immigration laws. But opponents of the agreements say 287(g) agreements 'significantly undermined any trust in law enforcement' in immigrant communities. '287(g) agreements literally turn local law enforcement into ICE agents,' said Nicholas Katz, general counsel for the nonprofit immigrant-rights organization CASA, based in Prince George's County. 'In this moment, Black and brown families don't know if it's safe to go to work, if its safe to walk their kids to school, if it's safe to go to the hospital,' Katz said. Under Williams' bill, which passed the House 98-38 last week, if federal authorities identify an immigrant who's been convicted and is being held in a local jail, the local officials would have to give ICE at least 48 hours notice before release of the imate, and would have to turn the immigrant over when federal authoritis arrived. At Thursday's hearing, Sen. Chris West (R-Baltimore County) said the sheriffs would continue to do their job protecting the public, but asked if not having the 287(g) program would decrease their public safety work. It would, Gahler said. 'If we lose the ability to have these agreements with ICE, we lose what comes along with it,' Gahler said. 'Which is finding out whether these people are indeed in the country illegally, and recommendations from ICE in relation to national security.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Sen. William C. Smith Jr. (D-Montgomery), chair of the committee, said he understood the perspectives from supporters and opponents of the bill. But he acknowledged 'there is a distinct fear' under the administration of President Donald Trump (R), who has made an immigration crackdown a key element of his tenure. The 287(g) program began under former President Bill Clinton (D) in the 1990s. 'I guess our policy debate here is centered on the federal prerogatives and their implementation of deportation policy and the existence of 287(g) in Maryland,' Smith said. 'Is that creating such an atmosphere that people are not going to want to cooperate with law enforcement? Live life?' he asked. 'Is that something that is beneficial to keeping the 287(g) program or getting rid of it?'
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Some Maryland sheriffs oppose bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriffs' Association Thursday afternoon, rallying against a proposed bill that would limit state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Most notably, the Maryland Values Act , one of three bills in immigrant rights group CASA's legislative package, would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson, three counties in Maryland have an agreement with immigration agencies -- Harford, Frederick, and Cecil counties. Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins called the bill a "terrible and dangerous piece of legislation." Jenkins said it will encourage criminals who have illegally entered the United States to establish themselves in Maryland. Jenkins said Frederick County has the oldest 287(g) program in the history of the United States. "Since 2008, we've removed 1,795 criminals - many of them dangerous felons. We've removed them because of our partnership with ICE and the 287 (g) program," Jenkins said. Opponents of the Maryland Value Act say the measure would release dangerous criminals back into the community, since it would require existing 287(g) agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2025. "I don't think there's anyone who would argue that making sure criminals do not get released back into the community is not a public safety issue," said Matt Elliston, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director. Elliston said "sanctuary" communities, or jurisdictions that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal law enforcement in immigration cases, are dangerous. Officials in sanctuary jurisdictions such as San Francisco have defended the protections for immigrants, saying that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes. Some supporters of sanctuary laws have also said that threatening undocumented immigrants with deportation erodes the trust between the community and law enforcement. Deputy Jenkins said it's an argument he said he disagrees with and hears "all the time". "The distrust of law enforcement comes with the people from the countries they're coming from," Jenkins said. "They can't trust law enforcement in the countries where they were born and raised. The real fear is not law enforcement, the real fear in these communities are the criminals that are in these communities." The Maryland Values Act has already passed the House. The other two bills, a part of CASA's legislative package -- the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act -- have each passed the Senate. The 287(g) program, named after Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deputize selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law. According to the ICE website , the 287(g) program operates in three models. The Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) allows local officers to identify and process removable aliens with criminal charges, while the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program permits officers to serve administrative warrants on aliens in their jails. The Task Force Model (TFM) serves as a "force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties," the ICE website reads. Since entering office, President Trump has prioritized a crackdown on illegal immigration. On January 20, Mr. Trump issued an executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" requiring ICE "to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the maximum extent permitted by law." In a memo issued a day later, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed prosecutors and law enforcement to consider charging state and local officials who attempt to impede Mr. Trump's immigration efforts. Maryland, along with 11 other states, joined a lawsuit challenging Mr. Trump's order, alleging that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws. Immigrant rights advocates and other supporters of the bill say 287(g) agreements extend ICE's reach, target those with low-level offenses, and heighten the risk of racial profiling. "No person is gonna call the police if that police officer is also an ICE agent. What we wanna do is make sure that people feel confident calling 911, making sure they're reaching out if they're victims of crime," said Cathryn Jackson, CASA's public policy director. "Also, just collaborating with police as a whole." Officials denied that 287(g) programs are discriminatory or targeting low-level criminal offenses. Elliston shared that in the last five years in Prince George's and Howard counties, 600 immigration detainer holds were lodged. Of those, 50 were for homicide, and 15 were for traffic-related offenses. Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown has had a significant impact on Marylanders. Members of immigrant communities expressed fear of mass deportations after the president revoked a policy that prohibited immigration arrests near schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations. Maryland lawmakers and immigration advocates have shown support for several proposed bills to protect immigrants, including the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act, which aim to limit ICE's access to certain locations and information. Immigration advocacy groups like CASA have been pushing for legislation to protect immigrant communities and protesting against what they claim are inhumane conditions in ICE detention facilities.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Some Maryland deputies oppose bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriffs' Association Thursday afternoon, rallying against a proposed bill that would limit state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Most notably, the Maryland Values Act , one of three bills in immigrant rights group CASA's legislative package, would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson, three counties in Maryland have an agreement with immigration agencies -- Harford, Frederick, and Cecil counties. Frederick County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Jenkins called the bill a "terrible and dangerous piece of legislation." Jenkins said it will encourage criminals who have illegally entered the United States to establish themselves in Maryland. Jenkins said Frederick County has the oldest 287(g) program in the history of the United States. "Since 2008, we've removed 1,795 criminals - many of them dangerous felons. We've removed them because of our partnership with ICE and the 287g program," Jenkins said. Opponents of the Maryland Value Act say the measure would release dangerous criminals back into the community, since it would require existing 287(g) agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2025. "I don't think there's anyone who would argue that making sure criminals do not get released back into the community is not a public safety issue," said Matt Elliston, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director. Elliston said "sanctuary" communities, or jurisdictions that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal law enforcement in immigration cases, are dangerous. Officials in sanctuary jurisdictions such as San Francisco have defended the protections for immigrants, saying that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes. Some supporters of sanctuary laws have also said that threatening undocumented immigrants with deportation erodes the trust between the community and law enforcement. Deputy Jenkins said it's an argument he said he disagrees with and hears "all the time". "The distrust of law enforcement comes with the people from the countries they're coming from," Jenkins said. "They can't trust law enforcement in the countries where they were born and raised. The real fear is not law enforcement, the real fear in these communities are the criminals that are in these communities." The Maryland Values Act has already passed the House. The other two bills, a part of CASA's legislative package -- the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act -- have each passed the Senate. The 287(g) program, named after Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deputize selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law. According to the ICE website , the 287(g) program operates in three models. The Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) allows local officers to identify and process removable aliens with criminal charges, while the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program permits officers to serve administrative warrants on aliens in their jails. The Task Force Model (TFM) serves as a "force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties," the ICE website reads. Since entering office, President Trump has prioritized a crackdown on illegal immigration. On January 20, Mr. Trump issued an executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" requiring ICE "to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the maximum extent permitted by law." In a memo issued a day later, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed prosecutors and law enforcement to consider charging state and local officials who attempt to impede Mr. Trump's immigration efforts. Maryland, along with 11 other states, joined a lawsuit challenging Mr. Trump's order, alleging that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws. Immigrant rights advocates and other supporters of the bill say 287(g) agreements extend ICE's reach, target those with low-level offenses, and heighten the risk of racial profiling. "No person is gonna call the police if that police officer is also an ICE agent. What we wanna do is make sure that people feel confident calling 911, making sure they're reaching out if they're victims of crime," said Cathryn Jackson, CASA's public policy director. "Also, just collaborating with police as a whole." Officials denied that 287(g) programs are discriminatory or targeting low-level criminal offenses. Elliston shared that in the last five years in Prince George's and Howard counties, 600 immigration detainer holds were lodged. Of those, 50 were for homicide, and 15 were for traffic-related offenses. Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown has had a significant impact on Marylanders. Members of immigrant communities expressed fear of mass deportations after the president revoked a policy that prohibited immigration arrests near schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations. Maryland lawmakers and immigration advocates have shown support for several proposed bills to protect immigrants, including the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act, which aim to limit ICE's access to certain locations and information. Immigration advocacy groups like CASA have been pushing for legislation to protect immigrant communities and protesting against what they claim are inhumane conditions in ICE detention facilities.
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Some Maryland sheriff's deputies oppose house bill that would end local partnerships with ICE
Members of the law enforcement community in Maryland joined the Maryland Sheriff's Association Thursday afternoon, rallying against a proposed bill that would limit state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement. Most notably, the Maryland Values Act would prohibit new 287(g) agreements between local agencies and federal immigration authorities. Fredrick County Sheriff's Deputy Chuck Jenkins called the bill a "terrible and dangerous piece of legislation." Jenkins said it will encourage criminals who have illegally entered the United States to establish themselves in Maryland. Jenkins said Frederick County has the oldest 287g program in the history of the United States. "Since 2008, we've removed 1,795 criminals - many of them dangerous felons. We've removed them because of our partnership with ICE and the 287g program," Jenkins said. Opponents of the Maryland value act say the measure would release dangerous criminals back into the community, since it would require existing 287(g) agreements to be terminated by July 1, 2025. "I don't think there's anyone who would argue that making sure criminals do not get released back into the community is not a public safety issue," Matt Ellison, Maryland's ICE deputy assistant director, said. Ellison added said "sanctuary" communities, or jurisdictions that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal law enforcement in immigration cases, are dangerous. Officials in sanctuary jurisdictions such as San Francisco have defended the protections for immigrants, saying that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes. Some supporters of sanctuary laws have also said that threatening undocumented immigrants with deportation erodes the trust between the community and law enforcement. Deputy Jenkins said it's an argument he said he disagrees with and hears "all the time". "The distrust of law enforcement comes with the people from the countries they're coming from. They can't trust law enforcement in the countries where they were born and raised. The real fear is not law enforcement, the real fear in these communities are the criminals that are in these communities." The 287(g) program, named after Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deputize selected state and local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration law. According to the ICE website , the 287(g) program operates in three models. The Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) allows local officers to identify and process removable aliens with criminal charges, while the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program permits officers to serve administrative warrants on aliens in their jails. The Task Force Model (TFM) serves as a "force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties," the ICE website reads. Since entering office, President Trump has prioritized a crackdown on illegal immigration. On January 20, Mr. Trump issued an executive order, "Protecting the American People Against Invasion" requiring ICE "to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the maximum extent permitted by law." In a memo issued a day later, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove directed prosecutors and law enforcement to consider charging state and local officials who attempt to impede Mr. Trump's immigration efforts. Maryland, along with 11 other states, joined a lawsuit challenging Mr. Trump's order, alleging that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal laws. Mr. Trump's immigration crackdown has had a significant impact on Marylanders. Members of immigrant communities expressed fear of mass deportations after the president revoked a policy that prohibited immigration arrests near schools, places of worship, and other sensitive locations. Maryland lawmakers and immigration advocates have shown support for several proposed bills to protect immigrants, including the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act and the Maryland Data Privacy Act, which aim to limit ICE's access to certain locations and information. Immigration advocacy groups like CASA have been pushing for legislation to protect immigrant communities and protesting against what they claim are inhumane conditions in ICE detention facilities.
