Jackson, Mich. (WKHM) — The Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night featured a packed room and multiple hours of public comment regarding the Sheriff’s Office’s (JCSO) 287(g) Agreement with ICE.
The JCSO has said that the agreement is used if someone lodged at the county jail on criminal arrest has an immigration warrant, giving ICE agents 48 hours to pick them up.
An effort was put together by the Jackson County for Immigrants Coalition (JCIC) to urge people to ask the board to rescind the agreement, with concerns about it expressed by JCIC member and Jackson County Democratic Committee Chair Amador Ybarra.
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While the majority of speakers at the meeting were against the agreement, public comment also featured multiple citizens in support of the JCSO and their partnership with ICE, including a former MDOC employee.
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Tensions flared multiple times in the room, with Board Chair Steve Shotwell threatening to have the hall cleared, and one audience member being removed from the meeting at a later time.
Jackson County Undersheriff Tony Stewart spoke to the room at one point about respecting the time people had at public comment, regardless of viewpoint.
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Following public comment, Commissioner Tony Bair defended the 287(g) Agreement, saying that the JCSO does not actively seek out individual citizens to arrest.
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Commissioner Darius Williams requested that the JCSO conduct an investigation into the agreement, saying he would like to see how many officers have received specialized training and potential costs associated.
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A full recording of the January 20 Jackson County Board of Commissioners meeting can be found by clicking here.