Newly-elected Barnstable County, MA Sheriff Plans to Sever ICE Relationship, Release Criminal Aliens
By Jon Feere on November 14, 2022
The voters in Barnstable County, Massachusetts have elected a new sheriff who says her “priority number one” is ending a public safety partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Sheriff-elect Donna Buckley explains on her campaign website that she will:
Move to end 287(g) because it does not make Barnstable safer. As Sheriff, I will always work towards the key goals of the office, to provide education, treatment and support to those in my care and custody so when they leave my care, they can be productive members of society. 287(g) does not add to those goals.
The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to partner with ICE and receive training on how to identify criminal aliens in their jails and efficiently transfer them to federal custody for removal. Instead of handing criminal aliens over to ICE, however, Buckley wants to spend taxpayer dollars on educating and treating foreign nationals who have no authority to be in the United States — individuals who have already been arrested for perpetrating criminal activity on American society.
Buckley previously served as the general counsel for the Barnstable County Sheriff Office, so she certainly understands that rehabilitation is challenging and recidivism is unfortunately the norm. So why would she want to risk lives by releasing back into our nation an individual who could otherwise be handed off to ICE and returned to their home country in accordance with law? She will be needlessly endangering lives, but she doesn’t seem to care.
https://cis.org/Feere/Newlyelected-Barnstable-County-MA-Sheriff-Plans-Sever-ICE-Relationship-Release-Criminal
