Lincoln County commissioners voted Oct. 1 to adopt a new policy and procedure guiding county employee responses to encounters with federal immigration enforcement officers.

The measure, described by county staff as a formalization of trainings conducted since February, lays out steps employees should take if Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal immigration officers appear on county property. County Counsel noted the procedure distinguishes between an ICE warrant and a judicially signed warrant and directs employees to contact supervisors and the counsel's office when an encounter occurs.

County Counsel said the draft ‘‘sets out the procedure for how an employee would handle an encounter with a federal immigration enforcement officer’’ and that the policy had been received from other counties that already have similar rules in place. The presentation said the policy is intended to ensure county right-of-way and facilities staff have consistent guidance.

During discussion, County Counsel moved a minor amendment to Section 4.2 to add the two telephone numbers employees should use to contact counsel’s office, saying: “I would like to be able to amend to include the 2 numbers so they can contact council's office.” The board accepted that amendment before taking a final vote.

A commissioner moved for adoption and another seconded; the board then voted to adopt the policy as amended. The recorded action instructs departments to follow the adopted procedure and retains the requirement that county counsel determine whether a presented document is a judicial warrant, subpoena or a nonjudicial ICE administrative document.

The board and counsel noted the policy comes amid a recent ICE arrest in Newport and broader interactions between state and federal law that the county must navigate. No ordinance number or statutory citation was read into the record; the policy was presented and adopted as a county administrative procedure.

The county indicated trainings have already been provided to departments, and the formalized procedure is intended to give employees written steps and contact points for future encounters.

Looking ahead, the policy will be implemented by department supervisors and county counsel; departments were directed to incorporate the contacts and protocol into local practice.