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County staff flag manpower, unfunded-mandate concerns over House study bill 187
Summary
Linn County Director of Policy and Administration Darren Gage briefed the board on House study bill 187, which would require written memorandums of agreement with ICE for local law enforcement. The county's sheriff cited staffing limits; the county is registered undecided and will continue to monitor the bill's progress.
Linn County officials discussed a proposed state measure, House study bill 187, that would require local law enforcement agencies to enter written memorandums of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in immigration programs.
Darren Gage, director of policy and administration, told the board the measure "requires participation by law enforcement agencies in immigration programs" and noted the bill had passed out of a House Judiciary subcommittee. Gage said he was not recommending a position but wanted the board aware of the proposal and its potential operational impacts.
Gage reported he had spoken with the sheriff, who "is not taking a position based on the partisan discussion of immigration," but had raised staffing and logistical concerns if officers were asked to participate in additional operations. "They're barely sufficiently staffed as it is, and so he's probably not staffed to a level where he can participate in a lot of this activity," Gage said of the sheriff's assessment.
Gage and other staff stressed the discussion was about mechanics and operations rather than politics. He said the bill includes language that would require political subdivisions to comply with any state mandate in the bill but does not provide state funding for participation; staff described that as raising the prospect of an unfunded or underfunded mandate.
Gage said lobbyists report most political entities have registered as "undecided"; a few nonprofits have registered opposition. He warned that if the county were the only government to register against the bill, it could create perceptions the county sought to be a sanctuary jurisdiction, which staff said was not the county's intent.
The measure remains at the subcommittee/committee stage; staff said it has not been calendared for a full House Judiciary Committee vote or a floor vote. Gage said he will continue to monitor the bill and bring updates to the board.
