SALISBURY, Md. - Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano has announced the county has officially joined a 287(g) immigration enforcement agreement with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The announcement was made in a press release alongside Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis on Friday, Jan. 23. The sheriff’s office is not involved in the agreement, according to officials.
Giordano announced the agreement is a Warrant Service Officer model, allowing ICE to train, certify, and authorize state and local police to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on those already in jail.
According to Giordano, the agreement is effective immediately.
Wicomico County officials have been considering an agreement with ICE for months, though a memo issued by Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown led the county to temporarily step away from those plans. Giordano says that because the 287(g) is between ICE and the county itself, instead of Wicomico law enforcement, it is not subject to the Attorney General's ban.
The agreement between Wicomico County and ICE is the first of its kind on Delmarva.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
