Residents urge commission to scrutinize Homeland Security grant, cite concerns about ICE detentions

Dozens of residents used the meeting's public-comment period Aug. 19 to press Washoe County commissioners for more information and scrutiny before the board considers a Department of Homeland Security grant that would fund renovation work at the county detention center.

The speakers, including long-time Reno and Washoe County residents and community organizers, raised similar concerns: that ICE agents nationwide have conducted warrantless detentions, sometimes masked and in unmarked vehicles, and that continuing or expanding local cooperation without safeguards could expose detainees to due‑process violations and the county to legal liability.

The chorus of speakers framed the issue as both a civil‑liberties and public‑safety question. "My ask today are that you resist the march into fascism," said Milroy (identified in the record only by surname), who urged the board to ensure federal agents operate here with warrants and clear identification. Maureen McElroy, a resident who submitted written materials for the record, asked what steps the Washoe County Sheriff's Office will take "to ensure that those held in our jail have been lawfully detained" and whether continued housing of detainees could create civil‑rights liabilities for the county.

Other speakers described personal and historical perspectives to underscore the stakes. Jane Grossman, who spoke of family histories of deportation and persecution, said the current practice of masked, unmarked detentions "feels very similar" to past historical injustices and urged the board to refuse grant funds if those funds would facilitate such tactics locally. Susan Walls, a Verdi resident, said the sheriff's office has worked with ICE for decades but argued that "these are different times" and requested detailed reporting on how detainees are booked, tracked and afforded access to counsel while in local custody.

Several commenters identified recent local reporting and calls for records. Speakers referenced statements from Sheriff Balaam (spelled as in public remarks) and public reporting in the Reno Gazette-Journal; Virginia Larmore asked for accurate detainee counts and documentation of processing, saying the public deserves names, dates and proof that families were notified and due process observed.

Interim County Manager Kate Thomas and staff did not make policy changes at the meeting but told the audience that the sheriff's office had posted a statement and FAQ on its website. Thomas said the item related to the grant "is not an expansion ... rather it's a remodel of the area" and that, based on the federal and state review schedule, the board can expect the grant to come before it in the November–December timeframe. Thomas said she was not in a position to speak for the sheriff, and noted the sheriff's office was gathering public comments.

No formal vote on the grant occurred at the Aug. 19 meeting. Commissioners heard the public comments and staff clarifications but took no action; several speakers asked the board to agendize additional oversight or a sheriff's report before approval. The county manager said the grant review would continue through the Department of Homeland Security and state review before returning to the board.

Ending: The county has not yet taken action on the Homeland Security grant. Commissioners and county staff indicated the item is still under federal and state review and likely to return to the board later this year; community members who spoke asked the commission to demand detailed, written assurances about lawful detentions, detainee access to counsel and public transparency before any funds are accepted or any remodel work that could affect ICE operations is approved.