Are North Texas sheriff's offices playing a role in deportation operations and ICE raids?
TARRANT COUNTY – As President Donald Trump makes good on his campaign promise to ramp up deportation operations across the U.S., one of his longtime supporters, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, is hoping to clarify local law enforcement's role and ease community concerns.
While the Trump administration said they are only targeting criminals who are in the country illegally, those words have done little to comfort some immigrant communities, according to Sal Carrillo, the district director for the League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC). He says the fear in some of these communities is "palpable."
Carrillo said the worry of deportations is hurting relationships between those in the immigrant community he represents and law enforcement officials at all levels.
"A blue uniform is the same as a black uniform, as a brown uniform," Carrillo said. "If they are fearful they are going to hesitate to call, period."
Tarrant County sheriff says deputies aren't assisting in ICE raids
Sheriff Waybourn said he wants to make sure the community knows that his deputies are not taking part in immigration raids.
"We have no authority to do that," Waybourn said. "That is not our role."
Waybourn clarified his deputies are required to flag undocumented immigrants in their custody for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to process.
"Nothing happens until they get inside the jail," Waybourn said. "We go through a process, either ICE or we do, to try to find their country of origin, trying to determine if they are here legally or illegally."
What is ICE's 287(g) program?
Tarrant County is enrolled in a program known as 287(g), which trains jailers to perform immigration duties, including detaining inmates who are in the country illegally and accessing ICE's database.
Waybourn said at any given time, the Tarrant County Jail has about 270 inmates out of 4,200 with immigration detainers in custody, representing about about 22 different foreign countries.
When asked by CBS News Texas how he would respond if asked by the Trump administration to take part in further immigration enforcement, Waybourn said he doesn't have enough information right now to make that decision.
"We are going to obey the law," Waybourn said. "We are going to enforce the law, but that hasn't come up and quite frankly I don't know that we have the personnel to do it."
Waybourn said he believes misconceptions about local law enforcement's role is leading to confusion and fear.
"No one is raiding schools or churches," he said. "They are going after selected targets that are criminal. If somebody is living with you that you know is wanted for some nefarious criminal activity, they may want to turn themselves in. If we go pick them up, that's it, we just pick them up. If ICE goes to pick them up, they may also pick up some collaterals that may be there illegally also."
He's also urging immigrant communities to not be scared to report crimes.
But Carrillo said the fear in immigrant communities is deep-rooted, and it isn't just being felt by those without documentation.
"Those who are living here and have documentation have relatives who are undocumented," Carrillo said.
The approach in Denton, Ellis and Rockwall counties
Other neighboring counties with 287(g) agreements either pending or in place include Denton, Ellis and Rockwall.
Click here for a full list of law enforcement agencies with 287(g) here.
CBS News Texas reached out to the other three large counties in North Texas to ask about their policies around cooperating with ICE. Read their responses below:
Dallas County
What is the sheriff's office current role and stance on handling arrestees/inmates with ICE detainers?
"If an individual is bought to Dallas County Jail by a local law enforcement agency on a criminal charge, ICE would place a detainer on that individual and could be held up to 48 hours pursuant to the ICE detainer."
Does the sheriff's office operate any kind of task force or efforts to round up undocumented immigrants?
No
Would the Sheriff participate in joint efforts with federal law enforcement to allow your deputies (given federal law enforcement powers) to arrest and deport undocumented migrants if asked to do so by the government or other federal immigration authorities?
"The Dallas County Sheriff Office role is to serve the citizens of Dallas County. Like most local law enforcement agencies, the sheriff's office does not have the resources to supplement the federal government."
Collin County
What is the sheriff's office current role and stance on handling arrestees/inmates with ICE detainers?
"The Collin County Sheriff's Office cooperates with all federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, in accordance with applicable laws and policies. Currently, there are foreign nationals in our custody who are unlawfully present in the U.S. that are awaiting trial on serious state felony criminal charges. The Collin County Sheriff's Office has always worked with ICE. This is not a new practice. ICE has access to review inmates in our custody who have immigration detainers. When an individual is booked into our jail on criminal charges in Collin County, ICE may place an immigration hold. Once the individual has completed their legal process here, including serving any sentence or resolving charges, they are transferred to ICE custody as appropriate."
Does the sheriff's office operate any kind of task force or efforts to round up undocumented immigrants?
"The sheriff's office does not operate an independent task force focused on apprehending undocumented immigrants. However, we do assist federal authorities in their operations targeting criminal aliens when requested."
Would the Sheriff participate in joint efforts with federal law enforcement to allow your deputies (given federal law enforcement powers) to arrest and deport undocumented migrants if asked to do so by the government or other federal immigration authorities?
"It is Sheriff Jim Skinner's policy that our deputies will works closely with our federal partners to facilitate lawful apprehensions, which help to make our communities safer places for Collin County citizens to live and raise their families. We will assist and accommodate federal agents to the fullest extent possible in their efforts to locate and apprehend criminal aliens who are unlawfully present in Collin County."
Denton County
What is the sheriff's office current role and stance on handling arrestees/inmates with ICE detainers?
"We honor the ICE Detainer. Once the local charges have been adjudicated we notify ICE. ICE then has 48 hours to pick up the inmate."
Does the sheriff's office operate any kind of task force or efforts to round up undocumented immigrants?
"No."
Would the Sheriff participate in joint efforts with federal law enforcement to allow your deputies (given federal law enforcement powers) to arrest and deport undocumented migrants if asked to do so by the government or other federal immigration authorities?
"Yes. The Denton County Sheriff's Office would participate with federal law enforcement if given the authority by the State of Texas and the Federal Government."
