(9/2019) The County Council has been on a break so far for the month of August but that doesn’t mean that the issues stop. The big issue when we return will be whether to adopt the Livable Frederick Plan that will set forth a new vision for Frederick County for twenty years.

However, the main issue that I am hearing from constituents on is the Sheriff’s participation in the federal program for 287(g). I should begin with a bit of background in that the 287(g) program is a federal program where immigrants who are arrested in Frederick County without lawful status in this country are upon federal request transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for appropriate action. I support Sheriff Jenkins’ participation in this program for our community. The program seems to have become a political flashpoint that represents a much larger cultural divide on how America can and should deal with the broader issue of immigration and illegal immigration.

While this is a federal government issue, the divide is so deep that there appears to be little hope of broad immigration reform at the national level. Therefore, we are left to deal with the ramifications of inaction on a state and local level.

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is a duly elected, independent Sheriff who has the right to enter into agreements to keep Frederick County residents safe as he sees fit. He has a longstanding agreement with the federal government that when an individual is arrested for a crime and booked at the jail, the Sheriff’s office will contact ICE to see if the arrested individual is somebody who ICE has determined needs to be transferred to ICE custody for further action such as deportation. It needs to be pointed out that Frederick’s participation in this agreement was a major issue in the general election campaign for Sheriff 10 short months ago. It was then that voters re-elected Sheriff Jenkins on this platform, so the will of the electorate here cannot be ignored.

It is undeniable that Frederick County’s participation in this program has made the County safer. Sheriff Jenkins has identified over 100 criminal gang members who have been deported from our community through this program. Removal of criminal aliens from Frederick County obviously prevents those people removed from being able to victimize others.

There are those who believe that Frederick should become a sanctuary county and should not take any adverse action with regard to immigration. I respectfully disagree. The County Council has regularly heard from these folks that make up the vocal minority that is opposed to the 287 (g) program. There has been such pressure from these groups that the County Executive has put forth a budget request for an independent audit of the Sheriff’s Office. This is not because of anything wrongdoing is suspected, or any allegations have been made with regard to the funding utilized, but rather because of political pressure from opponents of the program.

County taxpayer funding should not be utilized to ‘audit’ this program to try to find something that could be utilized by opponents of the program to use against the Sheriff. Audits should not be used as a political tool.

The proper place for the policy debate of whether or not Frederick County should continue to participate in this program is during the election. This is a policy difference that can only be settled at the ballot box. In 2018, voters supported a Sheriff who was outspoken in his advocacy for this program over a candidate who was outspoken against this program. If Frederick County citizens no longer want the County to participate in this program to remove criminal aliens from our community, it should not be a politically driven audit forcing change; it should be the will of the voters in the next election.