Sheriff provides look at program used to identify undocumented immigrants

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Mecklenburg County's Sheriff answered rumors Thursday that his office has been actively arresting people who may be in the country illegally.

"We have not and do not conduct any type of immigration enforcement outside of our facilities," Sheriff Irwin Campbell said.

Carmichael said his office has not changed its role in the 287(g) program. The department has been part of the 287 (g) program since 2006. The program allows deputies to run inmates' names through immigration databases to determine if they're undocumented.

[READ MORE: Immigration protesters disrupt City Council with 'No more ICE' chants]

There are strict requirements for the law enforcement officials who are part of the program. They must be United States citizens who aren't facing disciplinary actions and they also must pass background checks and have at least a year of experience in their position.

At the same time, during his speech Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said he is working to set up an agency called Voice, which will include a database with crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

[READ MORE: Charlotte mayor blasts ICE operations in area]

The proposal is highly polarizing, and advocates for immigrants said the program is too broad.

“I think this is all part of what we've seen as a general scapegoating of immigrants,” said one man.

[READ MORE: Thousands take to streets of uptown for national immigrant strike]

“In the 18 months since the senseless murder of my husband, this killer has been in custody on three occasions. Yet, federal officials failed to detain or deport them,” said Julie Nordman, whose husband was killed by an undocumented immigrant.

On Thursday, officials at the Mecklenburg County jail walked Channel 9 through the intake center where all inmates come in to the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Capt. Daniel Stitt, who oversees the program, said that inmates are asked two questions: Where were you born and are you a citizen of the U.S.?

Someone who is not a citizen has to answer more questions to determine if they are in the country legally or not.

That information is relayed to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

The sheriff's office said they have not seen an increase in the number of people coming through that process since the Trump administration took over.

Sheriff Irwin Carmichael said that they are not doing anything differently than when began in 2006.

“We have not and do not conduct any enforcement activity outside our facility,” he said. “In the 11 years we've been conducting in the 287(g) program nothing has change for us.”

The 287(g) program only includes people who are arrested for various crimes. It does not include those who ICE agents have picked up on detention orders.

But those in the community said it will take a lot more to calm nerves in the immigrant community after dozens were picked up in what ICE called "targeted operations."

[READ MORE: ICE will not target students at schools, CMS says]

"We want to calm the waters too," said Jose Hernandez-Paris, director of the Latin American Coalition.

He said immigration detentions outside of the 287(g) program have many in the Hispanic community on edge.

"People feel that they can't take their kids to school, they can't go to work, they can't go to church. People feel that they have to stay home."

Besides Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus, Gaston and York county sheriff's departments also participate in the program.

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