SALISBURY, M.d. - The Wicomico Coalition said Sept. 2 in a statement that they are urging the Wicomico County Council to reject the 287(g) Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agreement.
The coalition said they believe the jail enforcement model being considered by the council would endanger families, waste resources and erode public trust.
The coalition said that in the past in other jurisdictions, this model has resulted in racial profiling, wrongful detentions, lawsuits, and growing fear in immigrant communities.
"Wicomico families could be separated over something as small as a broken taillight," said Sebastian Brown of the ACLU of Maryland. "When community members fear that any encounter with police could lead to deportation, they stop reporting crimes, and they stop showing up as witnesses. We hurt public safety when we lose public trust."
The coalition also said in their statement "the proposed agreement also comes with a hidden price tag," claiming that the costs of staffing, operations, and potential legal defenses will be on local taxpayers.
Coalition members include:
- ACLU of Maryland
- Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)
- Haitian Bridge Alliance
- CATA - The Farmworker Support Committee
- Migrant Clinicians Network
- NAACP - Wicomico County Branch (7028B)
- Haitian Development Center of Delmarva (HDCD)
- Komite Ayiti
- Kreyol à la Française LA
- Crabs on the Shore
- Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR)
"Above all, this is a moral question," said President of the Wicomico County NAACP Monica Brooks. "All arrests are not legitimate. Do we want to live in a county where due process and compassion are replaced by fear and surveillance? We won't stop organizing until the answer is a clear and resounding no."
Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis and Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano both said to WBOC previously that local police officers will not be permitted to patrol with ICE in the county. Giordano also said the proposed ICE agreement is still months away from being completed.