LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office has updated its policy for working with federal immigration authorities, announcing that detainees will only be held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement if there is a criminal charge or judicial warrant involved.
The policy change, which took effect January 16, means the county jail will no longer hold people for ICE based solely on civil immigration violations. Sheriff Michael Filicetti said the office is “refining” how it partners with federal immigration authorities after years of housing ICE detainees at the county facility.
“I think we’re in a spot where we’ve struck a chord where we have to look at what is, what keeps the public safe in Niagara County. And I think by enforcing criminal law, but also when it intersects with federal immigration law, that makes sense to me that if we have criminals, I don’t know who would argue that we shouldn’t be looking to, if they’re here legally, we’re going to arrest them,” Sheriff Filicetti told me.
“If somebody was in here, for instance, on any type of criminal charge and it’s determined they’re here illegally, they’re wanted by immigration authorities, they would send us a detainer, we would notify ICE upon their release,” Filicetti said…