Immigrant rights group to deliver hundreds of letters against ICE partnership

Immigrant rights groups are mobilizing to protest tight cooperation between the Knox County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the renewal date for one-of-its-kind agreement in Tennessee nears its renewal date.

Roughly 50 people protested in front of the City County building in downtown Knoxville Thursday, rallying to end a partnership that deputizes local law enforcement officials to act on behalf of and in place of federal immigration authorities in exchange for training and funding.

The sheriff's office is the only jurisdiction in the state partnering with the federal agency under the program, known as a 287(g) agreement. A new two-year contract must be signed by June 30 for the county to remain in the program.

The protest, organized by Allies of Knoxville's Immigrant Neighbors, gathered nearly 400 postcards against the program to deliver to Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler’s office Friday morning.

“We’re letting them know we care and that we’ll be watching and asking (that they not re-enter the agreement),” AKIN Co-Chair Moira Connelly said after Thursday evening's vigil.

ICE arrests:Knox County ICE detainees spike after ex-sheriff signs new agreement

What is 287(g)?

As part of the program, once someone has been arrested on federal, state or local charges, ICE will flag the individual for removal and decide to request a detainer, or hold, on the person.

The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to decide who goes into deportation proceedings. A federal immigration judge ultimately decides who will be deported.

ICE places detainers on undocumented immigrants who have been arrested on local criminal charges and for whom ICE has probable cause to believe should be removed from the United States, according to an ICE spokesperson. The detainers are put in place so ICE can take custody of the individual when he or she is released from local custody.

Last fall, the county signed an intergovernmental service agreement, also known as an IGSA, which pays the county $67 per ICE detainee per day. ICE detainees spiked in number following the new agreement.

The IGSA also resulted in the county becoming a hub for ICE detainees from surrounding counties, according to ICE spokesman Bryan Cox. This sped up the processing times and reduced the number of transports required for inmates.

Supporters of the program have maintained 287(g) keeps the community safer, while others have said it supports racial profiling and makes immigrant communities fearful of calling the police.

Re-signing the agreement

Former Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones signed the two-year 287(g) agreement in June 2017. Immigrant activists hope the county doesn’t renew this summer, although it is unlikely that the county will change course.

“We understand that Sheriff Spangler walked into a situation (when he was elected) that existed before he got here,” Connelly said. “This is his opportunity to make his own decision.”

Last spring, when running for office, Spangler supported the program, saying it is designed to protect the community. He said immigrants don’t have to be concerned because deputies don’t profile and round people up.

“You have no fear. Because as we mentioned earlier, (deputies) aren’t out profiling ... Just because you look different doesn’t mean somebody’s going to come up to you and ask you if you’re here illegally,” he said. “No, it’s not going to happen.”

When asked for comment Thursday, Spangler's spokeswoman Kimberly Glenn defended the program.

“KCSO works alongside all agencies to enforce our laws,” she wrote in a text message reply. “Sheriff Spangler has said before the only time that 287(g) will even be an issue is if an illegal immigrant commits a crime. They can expect to be arrested just the same as anyone else. That’s our job as law enforcement.”

Most ICE proceedings are misdemeanors

According to data compiled by University of Tennessee sociology professor and AKIN member Meghan Conley, 88% of the county’s ICE holds have been for misdemeanor violations.

Conley’s data is from Jan. 1, 2018, to  March 31, 2019. During that time, the county has processed 575 inmates for ICE.

The jail is crowded

When Knox County officials signed the 287(g) agreement with ICE in 2017, then-Sheriff Jones said the program would be used to help reduce the county’s jail population and to save the county money by holding undocumented immigrant inmates for less time.

However, the county’s application stated the reason for joining ICE was to fight illegal immigration.

After he was elected last fall, Spangler said alleviating the county’s crowded Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility is an “immediate need.” He did not have concrete figures but said a $40 million add-on to the current jail would be a reasonable estimate.

The jail's capacity is 1,036, but it is not unusual for it to hold 1,200 in a given day.