BREAKING : Maricopa County Sheriff Reverses Course, Says He Will COMPLY With ICE

A Maricopa County Sheriff has reversed course and says he will now cooperate with ICE officials regarding illegals.

On Friday Sheriff Paul Penzone said his agency would begin transferring inmates in violation of U.S. immigration law to federal officers.

From Azcenteral.com

The announcement settles the main point of contention in a weeklong stalemate between the Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On Feb. 17, Penzone said the Sheriff’s Office was ending ICE “courtesy holds” in Maricopa County jails and begin freeing inmates who were suspected to be in the country illegally when a criminal-court judge ordered their release. Penzone said he changed the policy under a threat of litigation and acted upon the advice of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Before this policy change, an ICE “detainer” could keep such suspects in jail for up to 48 hours after their ordered release, until ICE agents could pick them up. Federal judges across the country have found that practice violates an individual’s constitutional right against being jailed without probable cause.

After the change, ICE officials were not allowed inside the jails for the transfer of individuals from state to federal custody. Immigration authorities, reluctant to approach suspects in open areas outside jail facilities, only arrested a handful of the more than 50 former ICE “detainers” released after Feb. 17.

Penzone reiterated Friday that the Sheriff’s Office “will not detain individuals beyond the legal limit and conclusion of their release process.”

“ICE hasn’t changed its stance; public and law-enforcement officer safety is paramount,” he said. “We will continue to work together with all law-enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe.”

Penzone’s Friday-night reversal comes after a frenetic week for the newly minted sheriff. Though his policy to end “courtesy holds” drew cheers from immigration-rights advocates, it inspired an uproar from others who saw the change as a threat to public safety.

Over the past few days, the Sheriff’s Office has scrambled to find a compromise. Penzone and County Attorney Bill Montgomery maintained that county representatives were in discussions with their ICE counterparts about a transfer process, but that any decision would have to pass legal muster. Holding an individual for even one minute longer than a judge’s ordered release time would set the Sheriff’s Office up for a lawsuit, the officials said.

Amy Moreno is a Published Author, Pug Lover & Game of Thrones Nerd. You can reach her on Facebook here.