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Wood County board hears explanation of sheriff's practice with ICE amid public questions
Summary
During routine packet review, the board discussed whether the sheriff's office has a written agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement; a sheriff's representative described local practice for notifying ICE and said ICE has 48 hours to decide whether to pick up an individual in custody.
Speaker 2 and other supervisors asked the sheriff's office to clarify whether Wood County has a written agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Speaker 5, representing the sheriff's office in the transcript, said the county "does have an agreement with them" and described the operational practice: when someone is arrested for a crime in Wood County and held in the county jail, the sheriff's office notifies ICE; ICE then has up to 48 hours to determine whether to take custody of the person after they finish serving any sentence. "We have 48 hours to do that," Speaker 5 said. He added, "If they don't, we'll release them." Speaker 5 also acknowledged there was public misunderstanding and offered to speak directly with residents who called about the issue.
Speaker 2 asked whether the agreement is written; in the same exchange Speaker 2 stated "You do have an agreement. It is in writing." The sheriff's representative characterized aspects of the county's arrangement as not fully documented in county records and invited follow-up conversations to explain details.
The board did not take formal action on the ICE-related practices during this meeting; the discussion occurred as part of the public safety committee minutes and the sheriff's department update. No public commenters spoke at the meeting.
Why this matters: practices that govern local cooperation with federal immigration authorities can affect detained individuals' release timing and local public concern. The exchange included a factual point that ICE is afforded a limited window to respond to notifications; the board did not adopt a new policy or amend any written agreement at this session.
What happens next: Speaker 5 offered to meet with callers who had questions, and Speaker 2 indicated openness to further discussion. No vote or directive was recorded in the transcript regarding changes to the sheriff's office practices.
