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Citizen urges Kenosha County oversight of sheriff’s agreement with ICE
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Summary
At public comment a resident said a January contract obligates Kenosha County to deputize staff to carry out custody transfers for ICE and urged the board to require reporting, limit transfers to those with recent violent convictions, and have counsel review liability language.
Jim Kennedy told the Kenosha County Board that a January contract between the sheriff’s office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires county employees to act as deputized ICE agents and urged strict public oversight.
"This agreement obligates Kenosha County to provide at county expense staff in our detention facilities to work as deputized ICE agents under ICE authority and supervision to carry out custody and administrative tasks," Kennedy said. He said the sheriff described the arrangement as focused on public safety and transfers of violent offenders, but Kennedy argued ICE’s broader mission means the county should monitor implementation closely.
Kennedy recommended three actions: ask the sheriff to limit custody transfers to undocumented immigrants with clear, recent violent‑crime histories; require regular public reports in open session about detainees transferred to ICE custody; and require reports on county costs for deputies performing work under the agreement. He also said the contract’s litigation‑cost language could expose Kenosha County to legal liability and asked corporation counsel to review it.
The board did not take immediate formal action in response to the comment; Kennedy said he had submitted his recommendations to the Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee and the Finance Committee for review.
What happens next: Kennedy requested committee review and public reporting; any formal follow‑up, changes to policy, or legal opinions would have to be initiated by the relevant committees or by county counsel.
