I want to applaud the Snohomish Country Sheriff for explaining why they are not assisting ICE in a recent article. A recent commentary by Paul Friedrich questions their actions. If Mr. Friedrich (Herald Forum, March 25) had read the explanation as follows his question is moot:
“As with most of the Sheriff’s Offices who operate large jails in Washington and Oregon, Snohomish County has not honored ICE detainers since April 2014. This was as a result of the federal district court decision, Miranda-Olivares v. Clackamas County, which ruled that honoring ICE detainers without probable cause is a violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Not honoring ICE detainer requests has nothing to do with whether Snohomish County is a ‘sanctuary’ jurisdiction and has everything to do with following the letter of the law.”
Indivisible of Camano Island met with Sheriff Brown of Island County recently to answer questions pertaining to this very question and other issues. An arrestee is booked and fingerprinted and those fingerprints go into a national data base. If ICE tags this person as an illegal immigrant the detainee may be arrested after civil law runs its course, usually a 48-hour detention. The sheriff enforces state and local law. They are not bound to assist ICE in apprehension unless provided with a warrant. He is not defying federal alien policy controls. He is following the “letter of the law.”
Mr. Friedrich states Sheriff Trenary as an “opinion holder” on this matter. But no, Mr. Friedrich is an opinion holder and as we all know: You are entitled to your own opinions but not to your own facts.
Joyce Renee Lewis
Camano Island
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