Controversy continues in Carrollton as a community group calls for the city jail to end a nearly decade-long agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.).
Thirty-seven law enforcement agencies in 16 states have the 287(g) agreement. There are only three agencies in Texas.
Members of Carrollton Citizens’ Movement call the agreement unfair and unnecessary.
“What we’re looking to do is to end this policy and put it up to council vote,” Nolan Adams said.
After weeks of making requests at Carrollton City Council meetings, Adams and a translator took their message to the streets of Carrollton.
“We’re passing out fliers about the 287(g) here in Carrollton,” Adams said walking down the street with fliers.
The fliers had information about the agreement, as well as, local resources for Hispanic families.
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“This is an agreement with I.C.E that’s been in place since 2008,” Carrollton police spokesperson Jolene DeVito said. “It says that when someone, and only when someone, is arrested and taken to jail in Carrollton, we have two specially I.C.E. trained officers in the jail who know how to process and screen that person to check for their immigration status.”
Adams and translator Catherine Robles met families from across the city and offered information.
“It’s exhausting, you know,” Adams said. “You have to explain the program over and over again, but it’s wonderful to spread the word. When you spread the word and spread the resources, you limit its power.”
“All the information that we can get and all the knowledge that we have is useful for us and future generations,” Marco Pulido said after taking a stack of fliers for his apartment complex.
Adams said he will continue spreading the information around Carrollton.
“Our end goal is to either end the program or adjust the program to only work with felony crimes - not misdemeanors,” he said.
On this trip, he met two new volunteers and plans to continue his push at apartment complexes.
Carrollton police reiterated that the officers are only in the jail.
“If you don’t get arrested in Carrollton, you don’t have anything to worry about,” DeVito said. “Our officers are not going out looking for people. They are not asking for immigration status at traffic stops.“
In 2016, the jail in Carrollton processed 7,108 total inmates with 780 screened. I.C.E detained 138 people and removed 72.
