El Paso County Sheriff’s Office releases 16 undocumented immigrants to ICE
Emily Coffey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Following a statewide debate about the legality of local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office says they have released 16 individuals to ICE custody since January, after reconsidering state law with county attorneys.
Of those sixteen individuals, five are accused of violent offenses, and three face drug-related charges.
“This is the first one [release of information]. Just at the beginning of this year, we started a new relationship with ICE, when I realized it was important to keep my community safe,” Sheriff Joseph Roybal said. “I knew I could work with ICE while following Colorado law.”
Roybal says he wanted to cooperate with ICE the day he was sworn in, but it took some time with legal review to get there, after he replaced the last sheriff.
Right now, the El Paso County Jail will ask people about their place of birth when they are booked into the jail. Their software flags this information for ICE.
ICE can then place a hold on the inmate, so EPSO will let them know when the inmate is going through release. ICE will then have six hours to come pick up the undocumented immigrant and take them into their custody.
Five times over the last five months, EPSO says ICE has missed that six-hour window, and they have released the individual wanted by ICE into the public.
In January, Governor Polis pointed out that this relationship exists within state law.
RELATED: Polis says Colorado ‘Not a Sanctuary State’ after sheriff, congressman ask for immigration changes.
Moving forward, El Paso County will continue to release information about their cooperation with ICE.
The full statement from EPSO can be read below.
Media Release- Sheriff Roybal Releases ICE Custody Transfer List, Continues Transparency with CommunityDownload