Full Notification

Feb. 14, 2018 -- The Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s top priority is ensuring the safety of all residents, including members of the immigrant community. In February 2017, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office terminated its voluntary 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

By terminating that agreement, Sheriff’s Office employees are no longer deputized by ICE to investigate the residency status of criminal suspects booked into the county jail. Ending the 287(g) program in Harris County freed up 10 Sheriff’s Office employees who were previously assigned to the program so that those resources could be focused on enhancing public safety.

Texas Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by the governor in 2017, requires local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal agents enforcing immigration law. Sheriffs, constables and police chiefs who do not cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement officials are subject to civil penalties under SB4.

In compliance with state law, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office grants ICE agents access to criminal suspects after they have been charged with a crime and booked into the county jail. Although SB4 is the subject of an ongoing legal challenge, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office is bound to comply with the law as it currently stands.