Sheriff defends 287(g)

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado attended a meeting of the Coalition for the American Dream (ADC) last week to answer questions about his office’s participation in the controversial 287(g) immigration enforcement program.

ENGLISH

The ADC had invited the sheriff to the special meeting because of ongoing concerns among Tulsa’s immigrant community over who is being detained and deported under the auspices of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office’s (TCSO’s) 287(g) agreement.

Regalado insisted that the TCSO’s participation in 287(g) is limited to verifying residency status of those booked into the David L. Moss Detention Center, and that his officers do not take part in field enforcement or immigration “raids.”

“The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office role in immigration does extend outside the walls of David L. Moss, so you will never see a deputy enforcing immigration law outside of David L. Moss,” Regalado said, “and if you do, please call me.”

The chief concern of the ADC as well as Tulsa’s other immigrant advocacy organizations is that non-criminals whose only infractions are civil immigration violations are being – or could potentially be – caught up in the system and deported even though they have not broken any laws, and Regalado admitted that this was a possibility, even though that is not his intention.

“The scope in which people are being detained has widened under the current administration – Trump – whereas in the past it was a somewhat narrow focus, criminal backgrounds, threat to national security, etc.,” Regalado said, explaining that today if an ICE agent goes to arrest an individual who does have criminal charges or a criminal background and in the course of the arrest encounters others who are simply undocumented, all parties are likely to be detained and processed under 287(g).

The sheriff said that other scenarios in which noncriminals might find themselves in his jail under ICE holds could be if they are arrested outside of his jurisdiction and are brought to David L. Moss by other law enforcement agencies.

Regalado stated that his sole reason for maintaining the 287(g) program is to facilitate the removal of dangerous and habitual criminals from Tulsa County, those that “nobody wants” living in the community.

Regalado repeated a promise he had made earlier that if he finds “a pattern” of individuals with no criminal past being detained and deported through his office’s participation in the program that he would “end” 287(g) in Tulsa County, although he did not specify what his view of “a pattern” would entail.

Regalado cited internal statistics showing that everyone currently held under 287(g) in Tulsa does have a criminal background in addition to his or her immigration issues, and reports painting a different picture. The sheriff said he doesn’t know where the data conflicting reports came from, but it doesn’t match his current information.

La Semana has asked the TCSO for this information in the past but it has yet to be provided.

A representative of Human Rights Watch, local Hispanic media, and pastor Julian Rodrigquez also attended the meeting. (La Semana)