LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The Trump administration says it's already fulfilling the President's campaign promise to carry out the country's biggest-ever deportation of immigrants without legal status. Federal officials say raids will start in Chicago this week. Chicago's police department says it won't help Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, enforce federal immigration laws. But across the country, more than a hundred state and local law enforcement agencies in 21 states do just that. One is the sheriff's department in Frederick County, Maryland, which has cooperated with ICE for 16 years. Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is a staunch advocate of immigration enforcement and is serving his fifth term as the county's sheriff, and he joins me now. Good morning, sheriff.
CHUCK JENKINS: Good morning.
FADEL: So you're northwest of D.C. in Maryland's biggest county by land mass, about 660 square miles. In your 16 years, how many detentions and deportations have federal immigration officers made?
JENKINS: Over 16 years in partnering with ICE in the 287(g) program, we have actually roughly just over 2,000 deportations through the program.
FADEL: And were these people all convicted of crimes?
JENKINS: They were all arrested and convicted of crimes. A detainer's placed on them and turned over ICE, and ICE makes the decision on whether or not they're to be removed or deported.
FADEL: And what specific issues does your county face when it comes to immigrants without legal status - what challenges?
JENKINS: So it's been a growing problem over the years. I saw the need back when I first came into office in 2006. I saw the increased crime occurring by people in this country illegally. Nothing was being done about it, so I looked towards...
FADEL: And specifically, in your county, there's been an increase of crime among people without status?
JENKINS: I mean, going back to 2006, I saw the beginning of an increase of crimes being committed by persons in this country illegally. I saw the benefits of partnering with ICE in the 287(g) program, which is a jail-based program - nothing on the street. No enforcement whatsoever...
FADEL: So ICE isn't going into the streets in your county. They're coming to the jail.
JENKINS: That's correct. Everybody is arrested, brought into our jail. Yes, ma'am.
FADEL: So you've long cooperated with federal authorities on this. Will anything change in your county with these new measures under President Trump?
JENKINS: I don't believe it will. Let me tell you why. Because we've been partnering, because we've been cooperating and taking criminals off the streets, placing them into deportation, we don't have the number of criminals in our community. We don't have the problems of surrounding jurisdictions, and our county is a relatively - a very safe place to live.
Now, ICE is going to do their job. They're going to come into their communities all across the country. They're going to target criminals, criminal gangs, cartels, public safety threats. But keep in mind we've already removed a lot of those over the years, so I don't look for there to be a big impact here locally.
FADEL: I will point out that many studies show that U.S.-born citizens are more likely to commit crimes than immigrants, generally.
JENKINS: I don't agree with that. There's no real proof, no real data because nobody tracks - in most jurisdictions, the numbers aren't tracked, simply because they don't identify immigration status. So how can you have the data when you don't identify who they really are?
FADEL: Now, I want to ask about some new measures that will come into place. As of this week, the Department of Homeland Security says it will let federal immigration authorities enter schools, health care facilities, places of worship. What do you make of those new measures? I mean, especially, you know, immigration rights advocates are concerned about parents being arrested in front of their kids, churchgoers, people sitting in emergency rooms who haven't committed crimes.
JENKINS: OK. I've read those memos. I've read some of that. I've heard some of that. I can only tell you I've met with my local ICE officials. I've met with the state-level people. I've met with the local ICE officers. And to my - listen, my understanding is this. They have criminal targets. They have gang members they're going to target. They have public safety threats to target. They've said nothing about going into schools or hospitals or any what we call safe places. I think what's going to happen or what we can expect - if they have a target they're looking for, they happen to go into a home where they're being harbored by someone, that person is going to be in trouble and that person will likely go. Maybe there'll be more than one. I don't know.
FADEL: That person being the person who has - I'm sorry, what do you mean by that person? I didn't completely understand.
JENKINS: I mean the person that's allowing someone to stay in their home, on their premise, whatever.
FADEL: What kind of trouble?
JENKINS: Well, if they're in the country illegally, they will face - they're going to go along with the criminal. I mean, they've told me that. But I don't think they're going to be looking for - they've said nothing to me about going into schools, courthouses or anything else.
FADEL: And what have you shared with your community about this, specifically people with work - that work with immigrant communities in your county?
JENKINS: OK. I have yet to meet with any of them. However, today, as a matter of fact, I am meeting with a local person who's very prominent in the immigrant community. We're going to have a candid conversation. I'm going to tell him what the community can expect so he can pass on to the immigrant community. And hopefully, this is not going to cause a big uproar up here.
FADEL: Sheriff Chuck Jenkins of Frederick County, Maryland, thank you for your time.
JENKINS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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