Colorado sheriffs on Tuesday welcomed federal immigration officials’ decision to stop publishing a controversial weekly list of law enforcement agencies that were labeled as uncooperative.
that the list, posted weekly on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, was rife with errors.
“The problem is they were releasing information without communicating with us first,” said Simon Crittle, spokesman for the Denver Sheriff Department. “It was kind of bizarre, quite frankly.
“It’s not helpful for anyone to be releasing erroneous information on an issue as important as this one.”
ICE appeared to agree with the mounting criticism.
A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement that the agency is conducting an analysis on its reporting methodology.
“While this analysis is ongoing, the publication of (the report) will be temporarily suspended,” said Sarah Rodriguez, a deputy press secretary at ICE. She added the agency expects to resume publication after the review is completed, but she did not specify a time frame.
“ICE remains committed to publishing the most accurate information available regarding declined detainers across the country,” she said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader wrote a two-page letter saying the ICE lists were unfair and inaccurate. Jefferson County was the second time it was published.
He and other sheriffs have said they cannot legally hold a person beyond their normal release date unless they are served with an arrest warrant signed by a judge.
“ICE holds are signed by immigration officials rather than a judge and without a judicially authorized warrant holding an inmate beyond his or her release date violates the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unlawful seizure,” Shrader wrote. “Through its ICE hold requests, the same governing body that created our constitution is asking me and all local sheriffs to violate the nation’s founding principles as well as the oath we took when we were sworn into office.”
ICE began releasing its “Declined Detainer Outcome Report” three weeks ago as part of the Trump administration’s pledge to deport more people living in the country illegally and to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities.
