by Brenda Ruggiero
At the end of February, the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office signed on to the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) Program to allow for the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Garrett County Sheriff Bryson Meyers explained that the program has been around for many years, but recent interest has piqued with President Trump’s Executive Orders to expand the program.
“The 287(g) Warrant Service Officer Program began in 2002,” Meyers said. “It is a part of the broader 287(g) program, which allows local and state law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws under the supervision of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
He noted that the program specifically enables law enforcement officers to be trained, certified and authorized to serve administrative warrants for aliens in their custody, thus helping ICE in its immigration enforcement efforts.
Garrett County has selected four officers to be trained by ICE.
Individual training is provided on relevant administrative, legal, and operational issues tailored to the immigration enforcement functions to be performed. Each nominee must pass a final examination with a minimum score of 70 percent.
Meyers stated that the agreements are negotiated between the Department of Homeland Security and local authorities and include delegation of authority to some state and local officers. Deputized local law enforcement officers are required to abide by federal civil rights laws and regulations.
In general, Meyers explained that deputized officers are authorized to:
• Interview individuals to ascertain their immigration status
• Check DHS databases for information on individuals
• Issue immigration detainers to hold individuals until ICE takes custody, with a 48-hour limit
• Issue a Notice to Appear (NTA), which is the official charging document that begins the removal process
• Make recommendations for voluntary departure in place of formal removal proceedings
• Make recommendations for detention and immigration bond
• Transfer noncitizens into ICE custody
“Now that we are in a cooperative agreement with ICE, we can be made aware of an inmate’s unlawful immigration status,” Meyers said. He explained that undocumented immigration is a civil matter, not a criminal offense. “However, when individuals are incarcerated for committing a crime, it is important to verify their legal status,” he said. “Without authorization and access to an immigration status update, we may release the individual back into the community. ICE may then only locate the individual via an at-large enforcement for a subsequent crime.”
Meyers stressed that with this program, deputies are not actively seeking undocumented immigrants.
“Rather, we are focused on verifying the legal status of individuals already being processed,” he said. “Federal, state, and local law enforcement working together creates efficiency while providing a tremendous benefit to public safety.”
He noted the importance of the program to strengthen public safety by identifying and removing individuals who may pose a threat, enhancing local law enforcement capabilities through specialized training, and fostering valuable collaboration with federal agencies like ICE.
“Given the interconnected nature of our world, the presence of a major thoroughfare like I-68, and our proximity to major cities, the potential for individuals with serious immigration concerns to be detained in Garrett County underscores the importance of this initiative,” Meyers said. “I would not be acting in the best interests of our citizens and our country if I allowed a known undocumented immigrant to be released from my jail.”