The Colbert County Sheriff's Office has received substantial funding after joining U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) 287(g) program in June.
The initiative allows local law enforcement across the country to partner with ICE as an extension of the agency's efforts to aid in tracking down and apprehending illegal aliens. Participating entities are awarded additional funding by the federal government as a means to help meet individual departmental needs.
According to a report from WAFF 48, the Colbert County Sheriff's Office was given nearly $130,000 as a result of its enrollment in the program.
Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine said the new funding has so far gone to transport vans and additional cameras inside vehicles. The remaining sum has been placed in a general fund, reviewable by the public.
"We were able to purchase an up-to-date, state-of-the-art transport van to transport inmates," Balentine noted. "We can put females along with males in the same vehicle with separate compartments, so it was a really good purchase, and it was very well needed. We were able to put more cameras in cars and buy equipment for that."
The sheriff spoke of a list given to him by federal agencies identifying crimes that make illegal aliens a priority to deport.
"Either they have committed violent crimes, drug trafficking, drug dealing, anything like that, if they miss their federal court date," Balentine said.
Balentine believes immigration enforcement actions in Colbert County go hand in hand with assuring the safety of its residents.
"We've got calls to answer. We have people in need here in Colbert County, but we do owe it to the people in Colbert County to keep them safe, and anyone that's here illegally that is violent and causing problems, we're going to remove that element, obviously," he added.
Per Balentine, the remaining funding will be used to pay Colbert County deputies for taking part in immigration enforcement operations or arresting illegal aliens in conjunction with ICE.
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