COLBERT COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office has been asked by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement to join a program called 287 G, a program that allows the sheriff’s office to work alongside ICE.
The sheriff’s office will choose to participate in one or more of the 3 modules in the program.
Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine told News 19 what modules they want to pursue.
“There is a task force module, there is a warrant service module and there is a corrections module, we are interested in the corrections module and the warrant service,” Balentine said.
Sheriff Eric Balentine explains that the program allows local law enforcement agencies to detain or arrest immigrants without ICE being present.
“It’s not something that we’re gonna be going into schools and taking children,” Balentine said. “Right now, we’re concerned with our violent immigrants, they are here breaking laws abducting, killing, raping, committing serious crimes. We’re gonna do whatever ICE asks us to do, whatever they need is.”
He says that changes the rules as they currently stand.
“As it stands right now, if we come in contact with someone that is wanted by ICE or has a detainer on them, if we don’t have a state or local charge, then we can’t hold them for just that reason,” Balentine said.
Sheriff Balentine told News 19, it’s a rare occurrence in Colbert County to have a felon deported. He says there has only been one within the last few months.
“We’re here to help and we want people to be in this country and we want people to do it the right way. There’s a right way to do it, but if you’re here and you’re breaking laws, then you’re gonna be deported,” Balentine said.
As for what’s next, Balentine says the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office is pending participant status, and a training will follow.
According to the ICE website, as of Wednesday, seven agencies in Alabama are participants, one being the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The website also shows that three agencies in Alabama are pending participants, including the Colbert and Limestone County Sheriff’s Offices.
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