Weber County to consider an ICE task‑force memorandum allowing trained deputies to place immigration holds

Weber County sheriff’s office staff briefed commissioners on a proposed agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would allow a small number of county deputies to carry out limited immigration enforcement tasks as collateral assignments.

What the agreement would do: Under the model discussed, ICE would nominate and vet deputies, provide training (an online course of roughly 40 hours with an extended completion window was described) and deputize those officers for certain immigration enforcement activities. The county described that these trained deputies would not be dedicated full‑time to ICE work; instead, they would be able to place an immigration hold or act in coordination with ICE when they encounter an individual during routine county law‑enforcement activity.

Liability and detention: County staff said ICE would assume liability for arrests and ICE actions taken when a deputy is acting under ICE authority. The discussion also covered detention logistics: the sheriff’s office noted one model could include a short (for example, 48‑hour) ICE hold while federal authorities arrange transport; separate contractual arrangements would be needed if ICE requested longer stays or a block of beds, and those details would be negotiated separately.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the program as a way to act more quickly when deputies encounter individuals with outstanding federal immigration matters. Supporters said it lets local deputies take action during routine stops rather than waiting for an ICE agent to travel from another jurisdiction. Several law‑enforcement examples were given: staff said deputies had previously contacted ICE and later relied on federal response to remove an individual who had been stopped for traffic offenses and was later confirmed to be in the country without authorization.

Training and operational limits: Staff said ICE retains a rolling public log of jurisdictions that enter these agreements and that ICE conducts constitutional and legal training before deputization; ICE also vets nominees. County officials described the training as provided at no cost to the county. If a trained deputy leaves, ICE would vet and train replacements.

Public and administrative steps: County staff recommended placing the agreement on the commission consent agenda for signature; if signed, Weber County’s participation would appear on ICE’s public list of partner jurisdictions. Commissioners discussed messaging to the public and anticipated media attention. No final signature was recorded at the work session; staff said the item was placed on the upcoming consent agenda for the commission to consider.

What was not decided: The commission did not approve changes to detention capacity or a contract for ICE bed space during the work session. County staff said those would be separate discussions if ICE sought a formal bed‑lease arrangement.