Utah County approves ICE data partnership
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The Utah County Commission approved a partnership Wednesday between the sheriff's office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
State of play: Under the plan, the county will create a task force and gain access to ICE data — a proposal commissioners OK'd Wednesday after roughly four hours of opposing public comments.
The intrigue: Sheriff Mike Smith acknowledged that Utah County had previously backed out of an ICE partnership, known as a 287 (g) agreement, due to the risk of costly lawsuits.
- Smith also said ICE has historically been opaque with Utah police departments, adding that he is "not comfortable with ICE raids."
Yes, but: The sheriff said current ICE leadership in Utah is more transparent and the agreement would trigger "no large changes to what we're already doing."
- "This brings us to the table," Smith said, noting the county would be better able to keep ICE focused, at least locally, on criminal suspects rather than indiscriminate deportations.
The other side: A 287 (g) agreement would introduce immigration enforcement to "things like police checkpoints or routine traffic stops, potentially casting a much wider net" than merely targeting violent criminals, ACLU of Utah's policy director Ellie Menlove told the commission.
- Another resident noted that access to a Colorado sheriff's department's communications led to the recent arrest of a University of Utah student who was pulled over for a traffic violation.
What they're saying: "I will tell you right now that by bringing ICE into Utah County, you can guarantee that there will be [crime] victims too afraid to report," resident Liz Martin said Wednesday. "They will have to choose between being separated from their children and their own safety."
- Many others asked how deputies would respond to constitutional violations by ICE agents operating in cooperation with the sheriff's office.
Between the lines: Smith said he would advise the commission to terminate the agreement if he learned of such constitutional violations.
- He defended the practice of ICE agents wearing masks to conceal their identities.
Zoom out: Sheriff's offices in Washington, Sanpete, Weber and Tooele counties already have 287 (g) agreements with ICE, as does the Utah Department of Corrections.