Local law enforcement clarify their roles when immigration officials are in the area
FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Across social media, articles and videos of protests against ICE raids are captured on camera. Local law enforcement officials have been tied up in speculations that they are connected to aiding ICE agents.
“I think there’s a lot of, kind of, misinformation out there. So when HSI does come into our area, if they come into our area, they don’t necessarily notify local law enforcement. They have their list of people they’re looking for. Those people are generally dangerous criminals, and they’re going to look for those subjects,” said Mark Empting, Clay County Sheriff.
In Clay County, Empting says they don’t have a contract to hold anyone whom immigration officials may look for. And they do not have information about who they might be looking for.
“They come, and they have their own staff, and they start locating people that they’re looking for. And the time that we get involved is when people start creating a scene, and start creating a disturbance, and we have to respond to maintain peace and order in our county, which we will,” said Empting.
In Cass County, Sheriff Jesse Jahner says their policy allows them to hold people temporarily, in the case of a traffic stop, and contact immigration. But other jobs ICE agents have do not apply to them.
“So it’s not our job to enforce federal immigration laws. We don’t have the authority to do that. We would have to, or they would have to, ask for our assistance, and if they do that then we can assist them. If they alerted our office of someone that was violent in the community and they wanted help in apprehending that person, we would want to do that because we would want to keep our community safe,” said Jesse Jahner, Cass County Sheriff.
While there have been no known immigration raids in the Fargo-Moorhead area, law enforcement officials want you to be careful and stay out of the officials’ way.
“What we all need to understand is that the ICE agents that are out doing this are being directed. I mean, that’s their job, right? They’re being directed like any of us would in our day-to-day jobs that we go out and do. That’s their direction,” said Jahner.
Last week, Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick said his officers will not be participating in any enforcement of federal immigration issues. And their job is to focus only on the state and local criminal issues.
