BOCC approves LCSO agreement with ICE to screen jail inmates

The Logan County Board of County Commissioners has approved a Memorandum of Agreement between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Logan County Sheriff’s Office to enhance public safety through the 287(g) Program.

This agreement allows certain law enforcement personnel within the county jail to perform specific immigration functions under ICE supervision.

Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux emphasized that the program’s scope is strictly limited to individuals already in custody. “It’s only confined to the interior walls of the jail. They have no authority outside of that. It’s only for those coming into our facility for us to prove their legal status,” Devereaux explained to the commissioners.

Under this agreement, two designated sheriff’s office personnel will be trained to access ICE software, verify an individual’s legal status, and serve ICE detainers. Sheriff Devereaux stated that the goal is to process and remove individuals based on the severity of their crimes. “Depending on their crime, they are going to be prosecuted here. If it’s a low-level misdemeanor, it’s bigger for me to get them sent back to their original country than keeping them on our dime in jail,” he said.

Currently, without ICE personnel in the county, local law enforcement cannot arrest individuals solely for their immigration status. Devereaux highlighted the program as a way to address this issue within the jail facility. “With what’s going on throughout the United States, this is a way for us to take care of our facility,” he added.

While the program is already in motion, further developments are expected. Currently, the sheriff’s office can hold an undocumented individual for up to 48 hours before a transfer. However, in the future, the jail may receive compensation for holding individuals for extended periods, potentially making Logan County the fourth facility in Oklahoma to do so. District 2 Commissioner Floyd Coffman expressed concerns about the costs, but Sheriff Devereaux indicated that additional details on funding could come later.

This initiative aligns with broader state efforts to enhance immigration enforcement. Governor Kevin Stitt recently announced that Oklahoma is finalizing a separate agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to support Operation Guardian. This agreement will grant Oklahoma state troopers, along with Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) agents, limited ICE enforcement authority.

Under this partnership, these agencies will work alongside ICE task forces to identify and remove individuals deemed significant threats to public safety. Oklahoma is among the first states to enter into such an agreement.