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Residents and Taylor school board urge council to affirm or withdraw from 287(g) ICE agreement; police chief and mayor respond
Summary
Multiple residents and the Taylor Board of Education urged the city to terminate its 287(g) immigration agreement with ICE, citing risks to students and families; Chief John Blair and the mayor said officers will not be assigned to task forces and that the department will only notify ICE when arrests reveal an immigration violation.
Several residents and the Taylor Board of Education used the June 17 public-comment period to press the City Council on the police department’s recent 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Linda Moore, president of the Taylor Board of Education, read a resolution that asked the mayor, city council and Chief John Blair to terminate the agreement immediately. The resolution said the updated 287(g) arrangement designates functions to Taylor personnel that include power to arrest and detain for immigration violations, gives ICE access to city IT systems, and could place community members in immigration detention facilities. Moore said the board was concerned the agreement could jeopardize the safety and well-being of students and families and asked the council to state a clear position.
Residents and other commenters raised related concerns, alleging the agreement permits administrative warrants issued by ICE agents without independent judicial review and increases the risk of racial profiling and wrongful detention. One commenter argued that the chief could not unilaterally enter such an agreement under the Home Rule City Act and that the document would require mayoral or council authority to be valid.
Chief John Blair responded that the city’s practice is not to assign officers to leave Taylor or to send local officers to ICE task forces; he said local officers will contact ICE only when an arrested person is determined to be unlawfully present. The chief offered written documentation and prior MOAs for review and said officers will not be “sent out” to task forces; the mayor and chief both emphasized the department’s intent to partner with social-service providers to address homelessness and related calls rather than defaulting to arrests.
Council members heard the comments but did not take an immediate vote to affirm or rescind the agreement. Several residents and speakers urged a formal council vote so the community would know the council’s official stance. The board’s resolution was submitted for the public record and members were asked to leave copies for the clerk.
