Jurisdictions across the country are reevaluating their sanctuary city policies and increasing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the interest of public safety. Previously, many cities with Democratic or progressive leadership had refused to work with ICE due to concerns about inhibiting crime investigations and hindering the reporting of crimes by migrants.
ICE has been advocating for more cooperation from big, blue cities for years, and some local jurisdictions with sanctuary policies are now changing their stance. Some cities have experienced incidents where they regretted releasing detained migrants who went on to reoffend due to policies preventing notification of immigration authorities.
ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner emphasized the importance of mitigating public safety threats and conducting arrests in controlled settings to ensure the safety of all individuals. Recent high-profile incidents, such as the death of Laken Riley in Georgia and the rise of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, have increased pressure on police to prevent crimes committed by migrants.
In areas like Montgomery County, Maryland, and Baltimore County, officials are finding ways to cooperate more with ICE while maintaining the trust of their immigrant populations. Montgomery County now provides 48 hours’ notice to ICE before releasing migrants from custody, to prevent individuals from committing further crimes after being released.
Overall, the focus is on balancing public safety priorities with respecting the rights of individuals, and jurisdictions are making adjustments to policies to support this shared goal. ICE is working towards more cooperation from sanctuary cities to ensure the safety of communities and effectively address criminal activity involving migrants.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com