Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly has a new program to let local police cooperate in turning over illegal immigrants even if the officers are limited by sanctuary city policies.
The Washington Times reported that under the program, police won’t be involved in asking about legal status or citizenship, but will have permission to detain someone for up to 48 hours to give ICE a chance to take custody.
According to the news outlet, the Warrant Service Office program piggybacks on an existing program that trains local police to enforce immigration law. But the WSO requires less training, and instead of making local police start the deportation process, lets them hold targets for pickup under an ICE warrant, the news outlet reported.
“I see this as unchallengeable,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday during an announcementof the program, the Washington Times reported. Florida lawmakers have already passed a bill to ban sanctuary cities; the measure awaits GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’s signature.
Gualtieir said he’s going to have 40 deputies trained so at least one can be on duty at all times, the Washington Times reported.
In cities with sanctuary policies in place, officers refuse to act on ICE warrants and release illegal immigrants when their time in local custody is complete, the news outlet reported.
Gualtieri lashed out at opponents to the plan, noting the only illegal immigrants affected are those already in the criminal justice system.
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