Chatham rejects immigration program

Chatham County officials say they oppose participating in a federal program that would allow local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws.

Chatham commissioners last week approved a resolution expressing "strong opposition" to any local agency contracting with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the program.

A number of sheriff's offices and police departments in the state have formed partnerships with ICE to flag for deportation any illegal immigrants who are arrested.

But Chatham officials said in an announcement this week that they were concerned that the program would have "negative consequences for the community and local governments."

Enforcement of ICE agreements can lead to violations of civil rights and liberties, distrust of law enforcement, the separation of family members and racial profiling," Esther B. Coleman, director of the county Office of Human Relations, said in the announcement.

George Lucier, commissioners' chairman, said in a statement that the board supported law enforcement's duty to uphold the law but also commended local officers for not participating in the ICE program.

The board's resolution acknowledges the vital role of diversity and immigration in the county, he said. "Our county has been blessed with a diverse population for much of its existence," he said in the statement. "This has included people of color and immigrants, who were not always American citizens or documented residents. All of these residents have enriched our economy, our character and our culture as well."

The board's resolution noted that ICE is supposed to remove dangerous criminals from the streets, but a state legislative committee found that many ICE detentions were for minor offenses, mostly traffic violations. County officials also cited concerns that immigrants in communities with ICE agreements are reluctant to report crimes, because they fear that they or family members could be detained.

Margie Ellison, who chairs the Chatham Human Relations Commission, said that the ICE detention process may do tremendous damage to children by separating them from their parents.