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Southampton County board directs attorney to ask immigration group to remove county from 'sanctuary' list after officials say jail complies with ICE detainers
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously directed the county attorney to email the group listing Southampton County as a 'sanctuary' jurisdiction and ask to be removed, after the county attorney and the sheriff said the local jail complies with ICE detainer requests.
The Southampton County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to ask the county attorney to contact a national group that had listed the county as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction and request removal. The motion instructs the attorney to send an email seeking removal without attaching the sheriff’s or other officials’ names.
The action followed a staff explanation and public comment about what “sanctuary” listings mean and whether the county meets them. The county attorney said Southampton County has repeatedly stated its opposition to illegal immigration and described how compliance questions focus on jail cooperation with immigration detainers. “The county, the only direct role that the county might have with ICE is the jail, and its compliance with, what's called a detainer,” the attorney said.
Sheriff Wyche told the board the local jail notifies ICE when an undocumented person in custody is identified and that ICE may issue a detainer request. “When we get somebody in that's illegal, we contact ICE. ICE will put a detainer on them … and if the detainer is in good standing, then we contact ICE so ICE can come and pick them up,” the sheriff said, adding that if ICE does not retrieve the person from the regional facility, that is outside the county’s control.
Board members said the county should correct the public listing. One supervisor moved that the county attorney send an email asking the organization (identified in discussion as the Center for Immigration Studies) to remove Southampton County from its list; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote.
The board did not adopt any change in local jail policy during the meeting. The county attorney and sheriff both described the county's current practice as complying with federal detainer requests where issued.
Next steps: the county attorney will draft and send the requested email, and the board asked staff to keep members apprised of any response.
