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WASHINGTON – Several county sheriffs are voicing concerns after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly used email addresses provided during routine data sharing for targeted enforcement actions, leading to the arrest of individuals and impacting local law enforcement operations.The issue has sparked a debate over the boundaries of cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local agencies.
The controversy centers around ICE’s use of email addresses collected from sheriff’s offices in states like Vermont and Massachusetts. Specifically,franklin County,Massachusetts Sheriff William “Bill” Quigley and Chittenden County,Vermont Sheriff Kevin mcclure provided email lists of their deputies to ICE as part of a notification system regarding individuals in their custody who might be subject to federal immigration detainers. ICE then allegedly used those email addresses to send targeted enforcement notices directly to individuals on the lists, resulting in arrests.
former Philadelphia Police Commissioner and former Washington D.C. Chief of Police Charles Ramsey stated that sheriffs like Judd are justified in their frustration.”At the time they provided [their deputies’ emails] I imagine they didn’t believe that this sort of thing was going to happen,” Ramsey said. “Those sheriff’s offices do more than just assist ICE. They have a lot of responsibilities and a lot of duties, and of course, if you lose your personnel, your ability to perform is impacted.”
this incident highlights a long-standing tension between ICE/DHS and jurisdictions that cooperate with federal law enforcement. In late May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a list of over 1,500 “sanctuary jurisdictions” – cities and counties with policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement – on its website. The list included locations that disputed their designation, arguing they actively collaborate with federal authorities. DHS later removed the list following widespread criticism and concerns about its accuracy.
Background: Federal-Local Immigration Enforcement Cooperation
Cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE typically takes the form of 287(g) agreements, which allow ICE to deputize state and local officers to enforce federal immigration laws. However,even without such agreements,agencies routinely share details
