Full Notification

HARRIS COUNTY, TX – On Thursday, Sheriff Ron Hickman met with representatives from United We Dream, local immigration attorneys and other members of the community to discuss the Harris County Sheriff’s Office participation in the 287(g) program. Officials from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) joined the Sheriff and members of his staff in the productive dialogue.

In recent public appearances, representatives from United We Dream have invoked rhetoric to promote their objection to the Sheriff’s Office’s cooperation with federal authorities. On many instances vague references to anecdotal evidence has promulgated a message aimed at inspiring fear in the immigrant community; a message that has little bearing on the facts.

On Thursday, Sheriff Hickman shared the following statistics with community representatives that agreed to meet at the 1200 Baker Street Headquarters of the HCSO:

• The Harris County Jail annually houses approximately 120,000 individuals.
• In 2015, 1,831 individuals were placed on ICE detainers following immigration screening at the Harris County Jail. Those individuals constitute 1.5% of the total 2015 inmate population.
• Of those placed on ICE detainers, 167 were ultimately removed from the United States (approximately 14 per month).

Inmates in the Harris County Jail are housed solely on state criminal charges.

In the past, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office would honor an ICE request for detention by holding inmates for up to 48 hours after their scheduled release from local custody. This practice has been disbanded. ICE now operates a daily transportation system from the Harris County Jail, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. If ICE has interest in the detention of a priority individual the onus is on that agency to take custody of the detainee. If ICE fails to retrieve inmates with detention notifications, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office will process the release of the inmate as scheduled.

Past concerns also addressed the application of detainers on pre-trial detainees. The process now occurs after adjudication allowing pre-trial detainees the opportunity to make bond regardless of their immigration status. This was an important step to applying equal and fair treatment to all detainees of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

Contrary to claims made in public outcries from United We Dream, local law enforcement authorities do not enforce federal immigration laws on the street level. Claims that immigrant members of the Harris County community should fear authorities hinder law enforcement’s ability to conduct criminal investigations, enforce state laws, and undermine the delicate relationship between law enforcement and the community.

No member of the immigrant community should fear contact with law enforcement as a victim of a crime or during routine contact in the community. Harris County Sheriff’s Deputies are only concerned with taking action on violators of state law, and do not pursue immigration status during the course of daily interactions.

Sheriff Ron Hickman, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, is committed to listening and responding to the concerns of the Harris County Community. Those concerns were received and addressed in the productive conversation Thursday. Now, it is the shared responsibility of law enforcement and vocal community groups to accurately share facts to alleviate the anxiety of the community, and build bridges between law enforcement and the people it’s sworn to protect.