MENOMONIE, Wis. (WJMC) — More information about the program the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office has joined related to a federal immigration enforcement program.
On Feb. 10, the sheriff’s office signed on to the 287(g) program, which says it gives limited power to local agencies to arrest or hold people who have federal immigration warrants.
Sheriff Kevin Bygd said Monday his department is not independently enforcing federal immigration law or directly participating in ICE operations. He said legal advice from their insurance recommended they join the program to allow a limited number of staff to be trained as warrant service officers, in order to hold people on federal immigration detainers, when they are already in the county jail.
Bygd said this applies when someone is in custody for up to 48 hours, after their local charges have been resolved. He said they encounter someone with a federal detainer about once a year.
Bygd said they are not arresting people based solely on suspected immigration status, they are not contacting immigration officials for every interaction or arrest of a non-citizen, and non-citizens are released from custody after their local or state charges, are resolved if they have no federal detainer.