Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin, Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver and Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship signed up for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program in March.
Franklin, Oliver and Blankenship all signed up for ICE’s 287(g) program after President Donald Trump’s second term began in January.
According to ICE, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act — authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.
There are three aspects to the program. The jail enforcement model is designed to identify and process illegal aliens with criminal or pending criminal charges who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies. The task force model serves as a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties. The warrant service officer program allows ICE to train, certify and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office is signed up for the jail enforcement model. Franklin County is signed up for the task force and warrant service officer programs. Henry County is signed up for the jail enforcement and warrant service officer programs.
Etowah County Sheriff’s Office signed up for the jail enforcement model in June 2020.
Requests for comment by 1819 News to Elmore, Franklin, and Henry County Sheriff’s Offices weren’t returned on Friday.
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