Beaufort Co. residents voice concerns, show support following ICE meeting

BLUFFTON, SC. (WTOC) - Tuesday night, Beaufort County Council members invited people to a community meeting at the Beaufort County Library in Bluffton to talk about the use of ICE in the county.

This marked the second meeting of its kind this month in Beaufort County, with the first taking place north of the Broad in Beaufort and this one taking place south of the Broad at the public library in Bluffton.

SEE: Beaufort Co. Sheriff addresses concerns over proposed immigration program

Statements opposing the 287 (g) program were outlined in chalk outside the library on Tuesday.

“If he does continue forward with it, we just hope that he engages positively with the community,” Member of Lutheran Services of South Carolina, Seth Hershberger said. “That he listens to the community and knows that trust has been eroding there and hopes to rebuild that trust.”

The 287 (g) program is a portion of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows states and local government agencies to partner with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce immigration laws.

Some people at the meeting on Tuesday were in support of the sheriff’s office implementing the program and while others opposed.

“What is going to happen in this county if the immigration they did get vetted for is lost?” A concerned resident asked. “Are your agents then going to participate in finding those people and taking them away?”

Sheriff P.J. Tanner told the crowd that he wants to have two of his 250 deputies on staff trained in this program, which will give them access to programs ICE uses.

“I want them to completely understand their lawful function in that program,” Tanner said. “I don’t have any deputy sheriffs in the sheriff’s office who know anything about immigration law, but the program allows us to not only be a part of the program to understand it and enforce if that’s the process we take.”

Beaufort County previously used the program in 2008 and 2012, which Tanner says helped the area fight crime effectively and efficiently.

Around the state, 20 departments are already using the program.

Sheriff Tanner says it will cost next to nothing from the county to implement, besides paying for the deputies’ salary, gear, and vehicle, which is about $135,000 each.

Dulce Lopez with ACLU South Carolina says that Charleston County has implemented the program, and it costs them $5 million a year.

Some residents feel that the program will instead strike fear in the county and could lead to more people not reporting crimes to law enforcement

“We all want to see this country thrive and do well and succeed, but when we see this division and hatred, it only divides us even more,” Lopez said.

Others feel that the program could force people out of the country who are trying to get the correct documents to be here legally.

“They would love to be here legally; they have applied to be here legally,” Concerned resident, Terri Martin said. “It’s not their fault that they are not totally with their papers.”

Sheriff Tanner told the crowd that he hopes to look at the contract agreement with ICE this week and hopes to enforce the 287 (g) program in the coming months.