- Utah County commissioners approved partnering with federal immigration officials in addressing illegal immigration despite strong opposition at the body's meeting on Wednesday.
- Sheriff Mike Smith cited the crime caused by immigrants here illegally and a desire to bolster public safety.
- The many critics, however, expressed concern that the federal efforts are dehumanizing and heavy-handed.
PROVO — After a five-hour discussion on whether to formally partner with U.S. immigration officials in identifying immigrants in Utah County illegally, Utah County commissioners approved the new relationship.
Wednesday's unanimous vote followed around four hours of public comment from 115 people on the issue, all of them opposed to the cooperative arrangement. Many of the foes expressed skepticism U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement can be trusted, and many expressed concern the accord would sow fear in the immigrant community and undermine public safety. They referenced the spike in raids and other enforcement actions by immigration officials around the country since President Donald Trump took office.
"Why on earth would we trust ICE when they're proven to be untrustworthy?" asked one speaker, who identified herself as Becky. "What do they have to teach us? How to be cruel? How to dehumanize our people?"
Others expressed concern that the partnership would eventually give immigration officials unfettered authority and power in the county.
"My question is, 'Why are we doing this?' This is how it starts. They get their foot in the door, and you don't know how to stop them," said another speaker.
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith, however, said the cooperative agreements would actually give local officials more leeway in working with ICE in addressing illegal immigration. Officials in several other Utah counties have also approved 287(g) accords with ICE, as they're known, including Weber and Washington counties, though without the sort of loud clamoring of Utah County residents.
As is, ICE officials are already operating in Utah County, like the rest of the country, but local officials "have no idea what they're doing," Smith said. Formally partnering with ICE in cracking down on immigrants here illegally — a priority of the Trump administration — would give the sheriff's office a means of injecting "Utah County values" into how immigration enforcement unfolds, he went on.
Moreover, the agreements with ICE — which will take time to implement — could be unilaterally voided by Utah County officials if they are unhappy with the working arrangement. If merited, he "will be the first in pushing back," Smith said.
Most significantly, perhaps, Smith envisions the increased cooperation with ICE officials — with a focus on criminal immigrants here illegally — as a means of bolstering public safety. He doesn't envision engaging in worksite raids with ICE.
"I've seen the open borders. I've seen people coming across," Smith said, referencing his fact-finding visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. The upshot has been an uptick in crime in Utah County, including more theft rings and dealing of drugs like fentanyl.
One of the two accords Utah County officials approved contemplates increased cooperation with federal immigration officials in identifying immigrants here illegally in the Utah County Jail. As is, Utah County officials typically identify maybe around 100 immigrants here illegally in the jail, with immigration officials picking up maybe 10 to 15 of them. The other accord contemplates increased efforts to identify immigrants here illegally during routine sheriff's office operations.
Despite the concern of many at Wednesday's meeting, Smith said the formal accords don't represent a radical shift from Utah County sheriff officials' current engagement with federal immigration authorities. "It doesn't really change much at all what we've been doing," he said.
Moreover, Smith and the county commissioners said they understood the concerns of those speaking out Wednesday and are mindful of them. Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner broached the idea of including a provision in the cooperative arrangement with ICE that lets the public lodge complaints about over-the-top immigration enforcement action.
"My intent with this is not to cause fear and discontent in our community," she said. "This is about keeping Utah County safe, and I believe we can do it the right way."
Likewise, Commissioner Skylar Beltran encouraged the critics to keep tabs with county officials on the matter and speak out. "You see something you don't like, let us know," he said.
How much cooperating with ICE would cost Utah County was a big question mark for many. As described by Smith, the extra investment would be minimal. Existing sheriff's office employees would get the required training to work with ICE.
'Psychological warfare wrapped in a flag'
The distaste among the 100-plus speakers at Wednesday's meeting toward ICE and their increased efforts to detain immigrants here illegally was intense, with speaker after speaker blasting the agency as heavy-handed. Many defended the immigrants targeted by immigration authorities as contributing members of the community, notwithstanding their migratory status. Others questioned whether crime caused by immigrants here illegally is as dire as county officials let on while more decried the possibility of families being split due to enforcement action.
"No one should live in fear of never seeing their family again," one woman said.
Many said the increased effort is dehumanizing and denies immigrants their due process rights. Others blasted the use of face coverings by ICE and other immigration enforcement authorities when detaining immigrants.
One speaker described immigration officials' increased efforts as "psychological warfare wrapped in a flag."
