* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. UH, MY NAME IS, ALRIGHT. MY NAME IS ALICE HOWARD. I'M CHAIRMAN OF COUNTY COUNCIL. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE SHERIFF'S BUILDING TONIGHT. WE HAVE SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT. I'LL START THIS END. YORK GLOVER, TOM RES DAVID BAR, MYSELF, AND VICE CHAIRMAN, TAB TABER. UH, PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA INFORMATION ACT. AND UH, THIS MEETING WILL END AT SIX O'CLOCK. IT IS A QUESTION AND ANSWER FORMAT. AND SHERIFF TANNER IS IN CHARGE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALLISON. HOW ARE Y'ALL? EVERYONE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM. I KNOW WE GOT SOME PEOPLE OUT HERE IN THE BACK. UH, DANIEL LEY, MY GENERAL COUNSEL HERE, SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I MOVE AROUND. I HAVE TO STAY PUT IF THIS MICROPHONE WORKING. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, YOU CAN. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'VE USED IT. . I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT IT'S ACTUALLY WORKING. I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE SOME ANSWERS FOR YOU. UH, BUT I WON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ANSWERS ARE GOING TO BE UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU AND HEAR WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE. OKAY? SO WE'RE GONNA DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. ONE, WHEN THAT CLOCK IS STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN, WE GOTTA LEAVE BECAUSE I GOT DEPUTIES COMING IN HERE AT SIX 15 TO GET READY FOR A SHIFT BRIEF BECAUSE THIS IS THEIR ROOM. THIS IS OUR TRAINING ROOM, AND THIS IS THE DEPUTY'S ROOM. SO THEY COME IN TOGETHER AND THEY HAVE A SHIFT BRIEF AND GO OVER THE THINGS THEY NEED TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE THEY GO OUT ON THE ROAD. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GONNA GO AROUND AND I'M GONNA LET YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS. NOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A STATEMENT AND LET ME KNOW YOU'RE MAKING A STATEMENT THAT WAY I WON'T KEEP THAT IN MY MEMORY BANKS AS A QUESTION. SO, BUT BE KIND TO EVERYONE ELSE BECAUSE IF YOU CONSUME THE TIME, WE GOT ONE HOUR. IF YOU CONSUME THE TIME WITH A STATEMENT AND NOT A QUESTION, THEN NOT EVERYONE'S GOING TO GET THEIR OPPORTUNITY, OKAY? SO BE RESPECTFUL AND LOOK, IT IS NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S ABOUT YOU. SO BE RESPECTFUL FOR EACH OTHER'S TIME, AND I'M SURE THAT, UH, UM, WE'LL HAVE COUNSEL THAT MAY HAVE A QUESTION OR TWO AS WELL. UH, AND WE WILL ALLOW 'EM TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL. I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE. YORK CALLED ME, YORK GLOVER CALLED ME TWO WEEKS AGO, YORK TWO WEEKS, ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AND THIS WAS BASED ON A COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING THAT, UH, WAS HAD OUT AT UH, ST. HELENA. AND, UH, THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUESTIONS THEY GOT AT THE COUNCIL MEETING. AND YOUR ASKED ME, HE SAID, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO, YOU KNOW, A MEETING SUCH AS THIS TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, ANSWER WHATEVER QUESTION? I SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT A PROBLEM. UH, AND THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO DO IT. NOW, TAB TATER, WELL, SHE WENT, SHE WENT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. AND SO WHEN WE AGREED TO THIS AND SHE SET UP A MEETING ON THE 22ND, 22ND, FIVE 30 AT THE BLUFF TO THE LIBRARY OVER IN BLUFFTON. UH, SO, BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME THAT THE SOUTHERN SIDE WAS FEELING A LITTLE LEFT OUT, SO SHE WANTED TO MAKE SURE SHE COVERED THOSE ANGLES. ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA MAKE THIS EASY. HEY GIRL, I'LL MAKE THIS EASY. WHO'S GOT A QUESTION? NOW? REMEMBER, YOU'RE GONNA ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE I GIVE YOU AN ANSWER TO ANYTHING. THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'VE EVER KNOWN. NO, I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOR YOU, UNFORTUNATELY IS LIMITED. COULD YOU GIVE US FIRST CHAIR? JUST GIVE, WELL THEN YOU WON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. I, I COULD MAKE THAT VERY EASY. HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE 2 87 G PROGRAM? LET'S ASK QUESTION. ASK OUR QUESTION, QUESTION. SO, ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO AHEAD. YOU, YOU GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION? NO, WHY DON'T YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT FIRST SO THAT THEN WE CAN QUESTION N. OKAY. I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I'M GONNA DO. I'M GONNA TAKE CHARGE IN THIS MEETING. I'M GIVE Y'ALL SOME INFORMATION AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, I'LL LET YOU ANSWER RIGHT? AND WE WILL BE RESPECTFUL FOR EVERYBODY'S TIME. OKAY? HAVE ANYONE IN HERE AS PART OF MY GIVING INFORMATION, I'M GONNA ASK A FEW QUESTIONS TOO. HAS ANYONE IN HERE GOOGLED 2 87 G PROGRAM? YES. YES. OKAY. SO YOU, YOU DO HAVE SOME FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE. YES. DOES, HAS ANYONE IN HERE WATCHED ANY NATIONAL MEDIA ABOUT THE 2 87 G PROGRAM? YES. YES. AND BASED ON ALL OF THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE GATHERED AND [00:05:01] HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER, HOPEFULLY FORMULATED A QUESTION, AND ACTUALLY PLEASE ACTUALLY PERTAINS TO BUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. IF YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN NEW YORK OR LA OR WISCONSIN OR NEW JERSEY OR CONNECTICUT OR NORTH CAROLINA OR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION FOR YOU ON THAT BECAUSE I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE, THOSE STATES OR THOSE COUNTIES, THOSE AREAS. OKAY, SO THE 2 87 G PROGRAM, JUST TO TAKE YOU BACK IN TIME, 2008, GEORGE BUSH JR. WAS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND HE CREATED, ALONG WITH CONGRESS, CREATED A PROGRAM CALLED 2 8 17. AND AS A PART OF THAT, HE OFFERED THAT AGENCIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ALL OTHER STATES, SHERIFF'S OFFICES AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND STATE AGENCIES CAN BE, COULD BECOME PARTNERS AND CREATE A PARTNERSHIP WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. WHAT IS CALLED IS ICE. SO OUR AGENCY, MY AGENCY HERE, BECAUSE I WAS THE SHERIFF IN 2008, AND UH, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CREATE A PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY PARTNERSHIPS I HAVE THAT WILL ASTONISH YOU TO KNOW THE NUMBER OF PARTNERSHIPS I HAVE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WITH STATE GOVERNMENT, AND WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I HAVE PARTNERSHIPS. I HAVE A DEPUTY SHERIFF WHO'S ALSO AN FBI AGENT. I HAVE A DEPUTY SHERIFF THAT'S ALSO A DEA AGENT. I HAD DEPUTY SHERIFFS THAT WERE US MARSHALS AND WE HAD MOUS AND CONTRACTS GALORE. OKAY? SO WE KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE. IN 2008, THERE WERE 18 TASK FORCE THAT WERE ALLOWED IN, IN, IN THE UNITED STATES. AND WE WERE ONE OF THOSE TASK FORCE. WE WERE A TASK FORCE, TASK FORCE OPERATOR FROM 2008 TILL 2012, I HAD FIVE DEPUTY SHERIFFS THAT WERE TRAINED AS IMMIGRATION AGENTS. DO Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT? YES, WE DO. YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO DOING AND HAVING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT WHAT WE DID FROM 2008 TO 2012, KNOWING THE BENEFITS THAT IT HAS FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. WE APPLIED FOUR MONTHS AGO, WE APPLIED TO BE A PART OF THE 2 87 G PROGRAM. AGAIN, WHY, WHY? AND, AND APPLYING AND APPLYING FOR THAT PROGRAM. I GO BACK AND I LOOK AND, AND TO SEE WHAT WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012. AND THE POLICING STRATEGIES OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS UNLIKE, IT WAS PRIOR TO ME TAKING OFF. AND IT IS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT SINCE 2008 TO 2012. THE STRATEGY WE HAVE AT SHERIFF'S OFFICE TODAY IS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. OKAY? WE HAVE DEPUTY SHERIFFS THAT, THAT, UH, WE HAVE OVER 300 EMPLOYEES HERE AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE HAVE DISCIPLINES THROUGHOUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT COVER EVERY GAMUT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE HAVE OUR OWN FORENSICS LAB. Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF THAT, WHERE THEY DO DNA TESTING, THEY DO CHEMISTRY TESTING. WE HAVE FORENSIC TESTING, UH, WE HAVE ARSON, A LAB THAT WE DO TESTING ON THAT. WE HAVE AN INTEL SECTION THAT DOES NOTHING BUT GATHER INTELLIGENCE FOR US EVERY DAY AND MULTIPLE HOURS DURING THE DAY. SO WE KNOW THAT WITH TECHNOLOGY ADVANCING AS FAST AS IT HAS OVER THE YEARS AND, AND THE BENEFITS TO TECHNOLOGY, WE KNOW THE BENEFITS TO SCIENCE. WHY IS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IMPORTANT? I'LL BE, I BE IT. I I MADE MY COMMENT FIRST. OKAY. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE IT ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DO THEIR JOB INVESTIGATING CRIME. NOW, I ASK THIS QUESTION A LOT. HOW MUCH CRIME DO YOU WANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY? OKAY, HAVING HEARD THAT IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN, WHEN WE GET A CALL, A 9 1 1 CALL, OR WE GET A REQUEST FROM A CITIZEN, UH, TO INVESTIGATE A CRIME THAT'S BEEN COMMITTED EITHER AGAINST THEM OR A FAMILY MEMBER OR IN THEIR COMMUNITY, OUR JOB IS TO GO OUT AND [00:10:01] IDENTIFY WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMITTING THAT CRIME. DOESN'T MATTER WHO IT IS, BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE THAT IDENTIFICATION AND FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM IS IF WE DO THAT AND WE DO IT THE RIGHT WAY AND WE DO IT PROPERLY, THEN WHEN THAT CASE IS MADE AND WE MAKE AN ARREST AND WE CHARGE SOMEONE AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR COMMITTING THAT CRIME, ALL OF THAT MOVES THEN TO THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE. AND THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE TAKES THAT CASE AND WHEN THEY GET IT, THEIR SOLE JOB IS TO PROSECUTE THAT OFFENDER AND PROTECT THAT VICTIM OF THAT CRIME. THE BENEFITS TO 2 87 G IN 2008 TO 2012 ARE ACTUALLY BETTER TODAY THAN THEY WERE THEN. WHY IS BECAUSE OF THE INTEL SECTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, YOU CANNOT HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR INTELLIGENCE UNLESS YOU ARE A PART OF THE PROGRAM. IF YOU'RE A PART OF THE PROGRAM, THEN YOU GET, NOT ONLY DO WE GET THE INTEL FROM THE FBI CALLED NCIC, BUT WE ALSO GET THE INTEL FROM THE IENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS A PART OF HOMELAND SECURITY. IF WE GET INFORMATION AND, AND, AND INTELLIGENCE FROM THE IBIT SYSTEM, IT ALSO IS IN GETTING INTELLIGENCE, WHAT THEY CALL THE EAGLE SYSTEM. THE EAGLE SYSTEM FOR US, IF WE'RE INVESTIGATING A CRIME AND WE DON'T CARE WHO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAY THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE OFFENDER IS, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE OFFENDER, BUT ONCE WE START IDENTIFYING WHO THAT OFFENDER IS, IT'S OUR JOB TO FIND OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT 'EM, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE. SO HAVING THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT COMPUTER SYSTEM IN OUR OFFICE TO QUERY INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE THAT WE SUSPECT OR A PERSON OF INTEREST IN COMMITTING A CRIME GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN ARREST BASED ON KNOWLEDGE, BASED ON FACT, BASED ON PROBABLE CALL. AND THEN WE TURN AROUND AND GIVE THAT TO THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE AND THEY HAVE THE BILL TO PROSECUTED. THE 2 87 G PROGRAM IS NOT DESIGNED TO MAKE ALL OF MY DEPUTY SHERIFFS IMMIGRATION AGENTS. I WOULD NEVER JOIN A PROGRAM WHERE I COULD COMMIT. I I TOLD YOU EARLIER, I GOT ONE THAT'S AN FBI AGENT ONE. THAT'S A DEA AGENT THAT COULD, THAT THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS THAT GIVES US THAT LEG UP. IT GIVES US THAT TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX. TWO SAYS A G PROGRAM. THE TASK FORCE MODEL THAT I HAVE AN INTEREST IN GIVES US THAT TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX FOR US TO MAKE EUFOR COUNTY A SAFER PLACE. DOES IT MEAN WE'RE GOING TO GO OUT HERE? LOOK, LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING FOLKS. I'VE GOT SEVERAL OPENINGS. MY JOB IS TO GET PATROL OFFICERS ON THE ROAD. I WANT THEM ON THE STREET AND I WANT THEM IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I DON'T, I WE, WE DON'T HAVE A CONTRACT WITH 2 87 GI MADE A REQUEST THAT THERE'S BEEN NO, NO FURTHER MOVEMENT ON IT. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT'S GOING HAPPEN. WHEN IT, WHEN IT, WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, WE'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. AND THE ADVANTAGE THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IS TO GET OUR FOOT IN THE DOOR WITH A CONTRACT WITH HOMELAND SECURITY THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO RESEARCH AND DO ALL THE RESEARCH WE NEED TO DO ON THOSE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN BUFORT COUNTY. THAT IS IMPERATIVE IN ORDER FOR US TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. YOU KNOW HOW MANY DEPUTIES THAT REQUIRES? ONE. I HAD FIVE IN 2000. UH, ESTEBAN, HOW YOU DO, AND YOU KNOW THIS QUITE WELL, I HAD FIVE BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012. I DON'T NEED BUT ONE AND THAT, AND ALL THE TRAINING ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING THAT DEPUTY, JUST LIKE I HAVE WITH THE FBI AND THE DEA, HAVING THAT ONE DEPUTY THAT'S FULLY TRAINED, THAT HAS ACCESS TO THE TECHNOLOGY THAT THEY HAVE, THAT'S BENEFICIAL TO WHAT WE DO IN PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY. NOW, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT YOU'VE SEEN ON THE NATIONAL MEDIA. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT, UH, ICE AGENTS RUNNING AROUND, UH, IN UNMARKED CARS, WEARING MASKS WITH NO NAME TAGS. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ALL OF THAT. BUT LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING FOLKS. I TOLD YOU WHEN WE STARTED, IF IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IT'S NOT A QUESTION, IT IS NOT HAPPENING HERE. OKAY? IT IS NOT. LOOK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF IN MY 44 YEARS IN THIS JOB, IN 26 AND A HALF YEARS AS THE SHERIFF OF BEAUFORD COUNTY, IS THAT WHEN I TOOK MY OATH OFFICE, MY OATH SAYS, AND I WILL PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND UGANDA STATES. PLAIN AND SIMPLE, BOTTOM LINE. THE FACT IS, THE FACT [00:15:01] THIS OFFICE IS AS TRANSPARENT, IF NOT MORE TRANSPARENT THAN ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENT YOU WILL EVER SEE. WE DO THINGS BY THE BOOK. WE FOLLOW THE RULES. I HAVE A GENERAL COUNSEL, MATTER OF FACT I HAVE THREE LAWYERS THAT WORK AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IS BY THE BOOK AND WE'RE FOLLOWING THE LAW. YOU COME IN HERE AND THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT WE IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM HAS ANY INTEREST OF ANY KIND IN DOING THINGS LIKE OTHER PEOPLE DO IT OR OTHER STATES DO IT OR OTHER COUNTIES DO IT. I'M SORRY. THAT'S JUST NOT WHAT HAPPENS HERE. THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN HERE. NO ONE RUNS MY OFFICE, BUT ME COUNTY COUNCIL DOESN'T RUN MY OFFICE. THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DOESN'T WANT TO RUN MY OFFICE. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOESN'T RUN MY OFFICE. I'M THE ELECTED CHAIR FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY. I MAKE THE DECISION AND THE BUCK STOPS IT RIGHT HERE WITH ME. AND IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANY OF THAT, JUST LIKE IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IMMIGRATION LAWS, YOUR BATTLE IS NOT WITH ME. 'CAUSE I DIDN'T MAKE THE LAW TO BEGIN WITH. IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THINGS, YOU, YOU NEED TO GO TO THE POLLS WHEN IT IS TIME TO VOTE, VOTE. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU MAKE YOUR CHANGE. BUT YOU LET HAVE THE COUNTY VOTES. I BEG YOUR PARDON? YOU ONLY LET HALF THE COUNTY VOTE. ONLY REPUBLICANS GET TO VOTE FOR SHERIFF. WHAT, WHERE THE, WHERE WOULD THAT COME FROM? OKAY, WELL THAT, THAT, THAT IS NOWHERE NEAR, THAT'S NOWHERE NEAR REALITY. WHAT YOU GOT? OKAY. SO THOUSAND. SURE, SURE. BEFORE YOU GET DONE, COULD YOU HAVE THEM STAND SO THEY HAVE THE FULL YOU WANT? IS THIS MIC WORKING? YEAH. COME ON UP HERE. YOU DON'T NEED INTRODUCTIONS, RIGHT? NO, JUST STRAIGHT TO THE QUESTION. SO WE CAN SAVE TIME. WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DID YOU LEARN FROM THE LAST TIME YOU IMPLEMENTED THIS? WHICH, UH, UH, YOU THINKING IT'S 2008 2012, YOU SAID THAT WAS 2008 THROUGH 2004. OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN TELL US THAT YOU LEARNED FROM? THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF FAMILY SEPARATION, MAYBE UNINTENTIONAL, MAYBE INTENTIONAL, UM, WHERE IT WAS SAID YOU WERE GOING TOWARDS OR TRYING TO FIND CRIMINALS OR SOMEONE WHO HAD COMMITTED A CRIME, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED THAT HAD NOT COMMITTED A COMMITTED A CRIME. ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? AND AGAIN, WHAT, IF ANYTHING DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT WERE RESPECTED BY YES. FAMILY SEPARATIONS. BY, BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE? YES, THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. BY BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE? THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY. SO, UM, AGAIN, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT. I KNOW THAT WE GAVE, I KNOW WE GAVE A, A LOT OF U VISAS THAT HELPED FAMILIES. YOU KNOW WHAT A U VISA IS? I DO. OKAY. WELL WE, WE ISSUED PROB PROBABLY SPENT MOST OF OUR TIME WORKING WITH VICTIMS OF CRIME AND ISSUING U VISAS, WHICH IS PROTECTING THE IMMIGRANT, NOT ONLY AS A VICTIM, BUT ALSO AS A WITNESS. I MEAN, I MEAN, YOU RE DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? I I DO. I I WAS NOT HERE AT THAT DURING THAT YEAR, BUT I DO REMEMBER. SO YOU DIDN'T EXPERIENCE ANYTHING PERSONALLY. EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE GOT FROM ME TODAY IS HEARSAY. MY COMMUNITY IS PERSONAL AND, AND MY FAMILY LIVES HERE. AND, AND AGAIN, MORE THAN ANYTHING, MY COMMUNITY IS PERSONAL AND THAT'S WHY I'M HERE TODAY. OKAY. UM, AND, AND THANKS FOR COMING. NO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. CAN I, ONE MORE 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, GET UP HERE AGAIN. THESE PEOPLE OUT HERE ARE GONNA LET YOU DO IT. OKAY? UM, IS THERE ANY PLAN BECAUSE YOU SAY NOTHING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY CHANCES ARE WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. AND, AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. THERE WILL BE MANY, MANY, UM, OKAY. YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED IF THEIR PARENTS GET DEPORTED. AGAIN, I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO HAS COMMITTED A CRIME. ALRIGHT, LET ME, LET ME STOP YOU FOR A MINUTE. I WANT, I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW SOMETHING IF THEY'RE NOT LEGAL, I LIMITED MM-HMM . JURISDICTION. AND IF YOU READ THE DOCUMENTS, IT SAYS THAT LIMITED JURISDICTION DOES NOT GIVE ME OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THE JURISDICTION OR THE AUTHORITY TO DEPORT ANYONE. WE DO NOT HAVE DEPORTATION. I KNOW, BUT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. SO HERE'S, HERE'S, HERE'S WHERE I WANNA GET TO. A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE KIDS ARE GONNA HAVE TO DROP OUTTA SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SIBLINGS. SO THEIR CURRICULUM IS GOING TO BE TAKING CARE OF THEIR SIBLINGS BECAUSE OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE. [00:20:02] ARE YOU OR THE TOWN CONSIDERING HAVING OR ESTABLISHING SOME SORT OF FUND HELP TO HELP THOSE KIDS WHO ARE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THOSE STRUGGLES? ANY, ANY MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE? BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE TRAUMATIZED. BUT WHAT IS COMING, BECAUSE YOU SAY IT HASN'T HAPPENED HERE. AND I RESPECT THAT AND, AND I I RECOGNIZE THAT HOWEVER IT'S COMING. SO I DON'T WANT TO BE THERE AND THEN REACT. I WOULD LOVE IF YOU CAN PLEASE BE PROACTIVE AND CONSIDER THAT IF YOU HADN'T AND, AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AND I'M HERE. MY NAME IS VERONICA NAVARRO, AND IN ANY WAY THAT I CAN HELP, I WILL BE HERE TO SERVE. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME IS ANNA RAMIREZ. WE'VE MET, I, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS YOU ARE VOLUNTARILY ENTERING INTO THAT PROGRAM, WHICH, UH, BRINGS DOWN PUBLIC TRUST. SO THE CATO INSTITUTE, WHICH IS VERY RIGHT-LEANING, UM, JUST IN CASE ANYONE NEEDED SOMETHING RIGHT-LEANING, UM, HAS BASED EVIDENCE THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ENTERED INTO THIS PROGRAM DIMINISH THE REPORTING OF CRIMES AND PEOPLE ARE LESS LIKELY TO SERVE AS WITNESSES AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS. SO WHY ARE YOU PURSUING A POLICY THAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO AERO PUBLIC TRUST EVERYWHERE IT HAS EVER BEEN TRIED, INCLUDING BEAUFORT COUNTY? BECAUSE IT DID HAPPEN. AND IF YOU NEED AN EXAMPLE, IN THE TIME THAT YOU FIRST DEPLOYED THIS PROGRAM, YOUR OFFICE TOOK A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE, UM, WHO HAD NO REASON TO BE TAKEN. SO YOU ALREADY HAVE THE JAIL MODEL, YOU ALREADY HAVE ICE. AND LET ME, IF Y'ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, I DO NOT RUN THE BUFORT COUNTY JAIL. BUT IT EXISTS, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A JAIL. IT EXISTS. AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY, LIKE YOU'VE SAID, YOU HAVE ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE PROGRESSIVE DEPARTMENTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT AND SERVE ALL. AND RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE NOT PROTECTING MY COMMUNITY. UH, WE ARE, YOU'RE NOT. YOU'RE ENDANGERING YOU'RE CAUSING MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO GO INTO HIDING. NO, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT LISTEN TO ME AGAIN, AND, AND LET ME MAKE THIS POINT CLEAR. IF THERE WAS A CRIMINAL ALIEN IMMIGRANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY, CREATING CRIMES IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT JUST LEAVE, LEAVE, LEAVE THE, THE FACT THAT MM-HMM . THAT YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY, JUST LEAVE THAT OVER HERE ON THE SHELF. OKAY. BUT HE'S INVOLVED IN OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITY MM-HMM . AND HE'S GOT A CRIMINAL RECORD FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY. WHATEVER COUNTRY MAY BE. I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT PICKING ON ANY COUNTRY. I'M JUST SAYING IF ANOTHER COUNTRY, WOULDN'T IT BENEFIT US TO BE ABLE TO KNOW EVERYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PERSON THAT'S COMMITTING CRIME IN YOUR COMMUNITY BEFORE WE CAN APPROPRIATELY DEAL WITH THAT PERSON, EITHER THROUGH THE FEDERAL SYSTEM OR THE STATE SYSTEM. ISN'T THAT CONTRADICTORY TO YOU? IS THAT IMPORTANT? THAT'S CONTRADICTORY TO YOU, STATING THAT YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY CURRENTLY DO YOUR JOB. SO ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB? I'M JUST ASKING IS THAT IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE THAT YOU ALREADY DO THAT THOUGH. YOU APPREHEND PEOPLE WHEN THEY COMMIT CRIMES AGAIN. AND THEN AT THE JAIL YOU PUT THE ICE DETAINER. IT ALSO GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO A BETTER JOB IN VETTING AND KNOWING WHO WE'RE DEALING WITH. YOU CAN, CAN GO TO A COMMUNITY. YOU ALREADY CAN DO THAT. AND ONCE YOU IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, A PERSON OF INTEREST OR A SUSPECT, FOCUS IN ON WHO THAT PERSON IS. MAKE SURE THAT YOU VISAS ARE GIVEN TO THE VICTIMS. THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT 2 87 G GIVEN TO, TO WITNESSES IN THAT DAY. THAT HAPPENS WITHOUT 2 87 G YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA LET PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS. IT IS, IT IS A GOOD PROGRAM FOR WHAT IT'S INTENDED FOR. FOR LET THEM ASK. SO THEN, IS YOUR INTENTION TO CAUSE COMMUNITY MISTRUST AND TO ISOLATE MY COMMUNITY AND MAKE THEM FEEL TARGETED? HOW AM I DOING THAT? I DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER 2 87 G SIR. AND FOR YOU TO STAND HERE AND SPEAK TO ME IN THAT MANNER, AS MY SHERIFF IS INCREDIBLY DISMISSIVE UNACCEPT AT THE COMMUNITY. AND I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HERE IS NOTATING THIS FOR WHEN HIS TERM IS UP IN 2026. WE NEED TO COMMUNITIES ON HIS CONVENIENCE. YOU SAY YOU'RE GONNA LET PEOPLE ASK, THEN YOU WOULD ANSWER LATER. YOU KNOW WHAT, I MAKE A COMMAND DECISION. Y'ALL GO AHEAD AND ASK A QUESTION BECAUSE I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I TOLD YOU IN THE BEGINNING ALL OVER AGAIN. SO HOPEFULLY I CAN GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION. YES MA'AM. HELLO, SHERIFF TANNER. MY NAME IS CE LOPEZ. I'M HERE TODAY WITH THE A CLU OF SOUTH CAROLINA. [00:25:01] I'M HERE AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN AND I'M HERE AS A PERSON WHO WORKS WITH PEOPLE IN BUFORT COUNTY, VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND VICTIMS OF CRIME. AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UM, YOU'RE CONSIDERING ENTERING THIS PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE TASK FORCE MODEL AGREEMENT, WHICH IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE FORMAT OF THE 2 87 G AGREEMENTS. AND IT HAS A DEEPLY TROUBLING HISTORY. WE CAN SEE IT. AND YOU SAID NOT TO TALK ABOUT OTHER STATES, BUT I CAN ONLY SHARE ABOUT NATIONALLY. WE SEE A PATTERN OF RACIAL PROFILING. WE SEE A PATTERN OF COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE FOURTH AMENDMENT. WE SEE A PATTERN OF, UH, VIOLATIONS TO PEOPLE AND THEIR RIGHTS. WE SEE A PATTERN OF PEOPLE OF COLOR BEING IDENTIFIED AS CRIMINALS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE A LITTLE DARKER, UH, THAN OTHER PEOPLE. THAT'S NOT BUFORD. THIS IS, THIS IS BUFORD. AND I WILL SAY, I, I WORK HERE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. I COME TO BUFORD AND I WORK WITH FARM WORKERS. I WORK WITH RURAL, UM, RURAL PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE SEEING? THEY'RE AFRAID FOR THIS AGREEMENT. THE 2 87 G AGREEMENT. SO WHY ARE YOU OPENING THE DOOR TO THE VERY SAME ABUSES THAT WE ARE SEEING NATIONALLY? WHY ARE YOU OPENING THE DOOR TO RACIAL PROFILING? ASK Y'ALL SOMETHING. Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE IS. YES, YES. YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? YES. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NO CONTROL OVER ME. HAVING SAID THAT IN FURTHER DETAIL, AND, AND MY LAWYER CAN EXPLAIN IT TO YOU IN, IN MORE DETAIL, BUT IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES INTO BUFORT COUNTY TO ENFORCE FEDERAL LAW, THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP THEM AND I WILL NOT GET IN THEIR WAY BECAUSE THEY WILL PUT ME IN JAIL. THE SUPREMACY, THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE IS VERY CLEAR. BUT LET ME OFFER THIS TO YOU. IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN COME TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND FORCE THE LAW LIKE THEY HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS, IF THEY CAN DO THAT, ANYTIME THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO, WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER THAT I HAVE SOME RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM TO ALTER MY INFORMATION, MY INPUT, AND GIVE GUIDANCE ON WHAT I THINK IS BEST FOR BUT COUNTY? OR DO I JUST LEAVE THE DOOR CLOSED, TURN A BLIND EYE TO EVERYTHING. AND WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOWS UP AND Y'ALL GET, AND Y'ALL START HAVING ISSUES, THEN YOU, THEN YOU'RE GONNA WANT ME TO DO SOMETHING. THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT BELIEVE THAT SHERIFFS HAVE THE AUTHORITY THAT WHEN A TF WAS THINKING ABOUT TAKING YOUR GUN, THAT THE SHERIFFS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO STOP A TF AGENTS FROM COMING TO YOUR HOUSE AND TAKING YOUR GUNS. THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THAT. IT, THAT'S, THAT'S MISINFORMATION AND THAT KIND OF STUFF IS DANGEROUS IN THE COMMUNITY. I WOULD RATHER BE A NEUTRAL PERSON IN THAT FRONT. IF SHOWS UP JUST LIKE FBI OR ANYONE ELSE, I, YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE ME IN A POSITION TO NEGOTIATE OTHER THAN JUST TURN TOGETHER. BUT WILL YOU BE NEUTRAL, SIR? RESPECTFULLY, YOU ARE IN THE PO POSITION OF AUTHORITY AND YOU ARE THE ONE DECIDING TO ENTER DISAGREEMENTS. SO WE ASK YOU THAT YOU PUT YOUR COMMUNITY FIRST, THAT YOU PUT YOUR FARM WORKERS, YOUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY, YOUR PEOPLE OF COLOR FIRST BEFORE YOU ENTER INTO DISAGREEMENT. THANK YOU. I WANNA THANK THE COUNCIL FIRST FOR CALLING THE MEETING BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN A COMPLETE LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S BEING REQUESTED AND HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST, UM, AND THAT WE'VE REALLY NEEDED THAT INFORMATION. SO THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU FOR CALLING THIS VERY IMPORTANT MEETING. UM, MY NAME IS AMY DEVERELL. I'M AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER AND I'M BRINGING MY OWN CLIENT'S QUESTION FROM THE HEART OF BEFORD COUNTY. OKAY? THIS IS NOT FROM ANOTHER COUNTY OR ANOTHER STATE. OKAY? SHE SENT ME AN EMAIL ON SUNDAY, JULY 6TH. IT SAYS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WE REALIZED THAT SOMEONE HAD SHOT OUR CAR HERE AT OUR HOME. IT HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WE'RE PRETTY SCARED BECAUSE THE CAR IS PARKED RIGHT NEXT TO THE BEDROOM WHERE MY DAUGHTERS SLEEP. WE DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ANYONE. THERE WERE TWO BULLETS INSIDE THE CAR THAT DIDN'T COME OUT. BUT WE ARE AFRAID TO CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH IMMIGRANTS. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE DO NORMALLY THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AN EASY QUESTION FOR ME TO ANSWER SHERIFF. AND I'M EMBARRASSED THAT IT WAS NOT AN EASY QUESTION FOR ME RIGHT NOW. THE BUCK STOPS HERE. YOU DID THAT. WHEN YOU APPLY FOR THIS CONTRACT AND YOU START TALKING [00:30:01] ABOUT GETTING IMMIGRATION INVOLVED IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WE ALL AGREE THAT THE BAD GUYS NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. I'M A MOM. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND DRUNK. I DON'T WANT PEOPLE SHOOTING NEXT TO WHERE PEOPLE'S KIDS ARE SLEEPING. WE WANT THE BAD GUYS TAKEN CARE OF. BUT WHAT THIS PROGRAM DOES, IT, IT AFFECTS THE VICTIMS. THEN YOU HAVE VICTIMS THAT ARE SCARED TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM. WE CAN'T GUARANTEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM WHEN 2 87 G IS INVOLVED. AND WHEN PEOPLE DON'T REPORT, THE BAD GUYS GO FREE AND WE'RE ALL LESS SAFE. SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO APPLY FOR THIS. AND I AM BEGGING YOU AGAIN AS I BEGGED YOU IN 2017 TO PLEASE WITHDRAW THE APPLICATION. WE DON'T NEED IT. ICE JUST GOT 350% BUDGET INCREASE LAST WEEK. THEY HAVE PLENTY OF HELP. THEY DON'T NEED YOUR HELP. RESPECTFULLY, WE NEED YOUR HELP. MY NAME IS SALLY DOBY. UM, AND I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, DOES BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME? UM, AND IF SO, DO WE HAVE THE STATISTICS TO BACK THAT UP? UM, AND THEN FROM WHAT I'VE READ, UM, ILLEGALLY ENTERING THIS COUNTRY THE FIRST TIME IS A MISDEMEANOR. UM, SO ARE WE GOING TO BE PROSECUTING ALL MISDEMEANORS WITH THIS AMOUNT OF THEM AND VIGOR AND FRANKLY VENOM. THANK YOU. I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANY CASES OF ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES WILL BE PROSECUTED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA. WHY WOULD YOU WANT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT? AGAIN, I PUT, I PUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY ON THE SHELF A WHILE AGO, AND I TOLD YOU THAT MY INTEREST IS THOSE THAT ARE HERE, IF THEY'RE HERE ILLEGALLY OR NOT, IF THEY'RE US CITIZENS OR WHOMEVER THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE INVOLVED IN COMMITTING CRIMES IN BE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE. THAT'S WHAT THE IC GIVES US. THAT'S WHAT THE TOOLS, THAT'S WHAT THE EVENT SYSTEM WILL GIVE US IF WE HAVE A CONTRACT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT SYSTEM. THE CONTRACT GIVES US THE ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. OKAY. Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 350 DEPUTIES OUT THERE RUNNING THE STREETS OF BUFORT COUNTY, PICKING UP PEOPLE FROM WALMART. THAT'S NOT THE CASE AT ALL. YOU SAYING THAT EVERY COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES IT DOES NOT HAVE THIS CONTRACT, IS HAVING INFORMATION WITH HELP FROM THEM THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT GIVE THEM ACCESS TO THE CRIMINAL DATABASE? THEY HAVE NO, BECAUSE THEY CAN ALREADY DETAIN AT THE DETENTION CENTER, WHICH GIVES THEM A STATUS WHICH ENABLES THEM TO PUT IN ICE SCHOOL ON AN ALREADY ARRESTED. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE DETENTION CENTER PROCESS. WELL, ON THAT POINT, UM, MY NAME IS WILL MCCORKLE. UM, AND UH, JUST ON THIS POINT RIGHT HERE, THIS IS A SIMILAR RHETORIC WE'RE SEEING ACROSS COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. UM, WHEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TRIES TO BRING FORTH THESE AGREEMENTS, IS ALWAYS FOCUSING ON WE'RE GONNA STOP IMMIGRANT CRIMINALS. UM, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S ACTUALLY AGAINST STOPPING SOMEONE WHO'S COMMITTED A FELONY WHO'S DANGEROUS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IN COUNTY AFTER COUNTY, IT'S LIKE A PLAYBOOK THAT'S HAPPENING. THEY GIVE THIS RHETORIC, THEY SAY THIS, AND THEN WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY PASSED, THEY'RE PICKING UP PEOPLE FOR NOT HAVING A DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND I THINK THE POINT THAT YOU MADE IS SAYING WE DON'T DEPORT PEOPLE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. OF COURSE, BEAUFORT COUNTY DOESN'T DIRECTLY DEPORT INDIVIDUALS. NO ONE BELIEVES THAT. BUT YOU'RE PUTTING INDIVIDUALS IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION WHO ARE GOING TO BE TREATED UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATION IN WAYS THAT DEFY BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS. AND WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE, WE'RE SEEING INNOCENT INDIVIDUALS BEING SENT TO A DEATH CAMP IN EL SALVADOR. WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE BEING SENT TO SOUTH SUDAN FROM BUFORT COUNTY SALOR. WELL, THEY COULD HAPPEN, YES. IF YOU, IF YOU DETAIN SOMEONE IN BUFORT COUNTY, THEY COULD BE SENT TO THE DETENTION CENTER. SO YOU CANNOT SEPARATE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PICK SOMEONE UP FOR NOT HAVING A LICENSE AND WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA END UP. AND SO IT IS A NATIONAL ISSUE. IT'S NOT, IS EVERYONE REQUIRED TO HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAYS AND BUY AWAY? IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD BE SENT TO EL SALVADOR TO A DEATH CAMP. AND YOU'RE OPENING THAT DOOR RIGHT NOW BY WORKING WITH AN ADMINISTRATION AND AN ICE ADMINISTRATION. THAT'S A POLITICAL COMMENT. NEXT QUESTION, . YEAH. WELL THIS IS A POLITICAL ISSUE THAT YOU'RE MAKING. I HAVE NO CONTROL. POLITICAL, HI, UH, MY NAME'S, UH, SETH BERGER. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF LUTHERAN SERVICES CAROLINAS, UH, WHICH [00:35:01] IS A REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT AGENCY. WE SERVE CLIENTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. SURE. UM, AND UH, I ALSO WANT TO JUST MENTION MY BACKGROUND JUST REAL FAST, UM, BECAUSE IT'S PERTINENT TO MY QUESTION. I HAVE A MASTER'S IN ECONOMICS WITH, UH, UH, CONCENTRATION IN REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT. UM, AND SO WE'VE HAD CLIENTS, UM, IN THE LOW COUNTRY WHO HAVE SPECIFICALLY CALLED US BECAUSE OF THESE AGREEMENTS, THE 2 87 G AGREEMENTS. AND THEY MAYBE HAVE A POLICE OFFICER WHO'S JUST SITTING OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THEIR HOUSE, MAYBE CLOCKING TRAFFIC, UM, THAT THEY'RE AFRAID TO GO TO WORK. UM, AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T SHOW UP TO THEIR EMPLOYER BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IS AN ECONOMIC ONE IS WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE, AND I CAN SPEAK ON THIS WITH AUTHORITY BECAUSE I HAVE, YOU KNOW, EDUCATION IN THIS MATTER, WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT, UH, HAVE INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, THEY INCREASE INCOME PER CAPITA, THEY HAVE HUMAN CAPITAL THAT THEY BRING, UM, BUT AREN'T SHOWING UP TO WORK, IT'S HURTING THE ECONOMY. AND SO I GUESS IF I CAN COUPLE THIS, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE, WHAT IS IT GONNA COST US SPECIFICALLY AND IN BUFORT COUNTY, WHAT'S IT GONNA COST THE TAXPAYER? AND THEN ALSO WHAT IS WHY IS HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY A PROGRAM THAT'S HURTING THE ECONOMY? YEAH. YEAH. I I DON'T KNOW THAT THE PROGRAM BASED ON WHAT I KNOW I'M USING IT FOR, WELL, I'M SEEING, BASED ON WHAT I KNOW THOUGH, WHICH I'M SAYING BASED ON WHAT I KNOW WHEN I HAVE A MASTER'S IN ECONOMICS, IN REFUGEE EMPLOYMENT ECONOMICS. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN, I WORK ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE. I'VE BEEN HERE SEVEN YEARS. SO ANYONE, WAS ANYONE HERE BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012? HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? YEAH, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? WHAT, WHAT NEGATIVITY DID IT HAVE TO THE ECONOMY DURING THAT TIME? THAT'S NOT THE QUESTION. IF WE GOING TO USE YOUR WHY ARE, WHAT IS, IS THE INFORMATION? BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE, I'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH THE STATISTICS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT, I'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL WITH THE STATISTICS THEN. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. BUT THEN HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? THE HOW MUCH WILL IT COST THE TAXPAYER HERE YOU DO REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE A 2 87 G PROGRAM. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST THE TAXPAYER? I'D LOVE TO SEE THE INFORMATION. SHERIFF. ALL DUE RESPECT, SIR, YOU DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION. SHARE, SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH ME. I'LL ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS, IS ON THE WEBSITE. UH, JUST QUICK, UH, QUICK, MARK. CHARLESTON COUNTY ENGAGED IN THE 2 87 G AGREEMENT AND SHERIFF ANO SHARED THAT IT COSTED TAXPAYERS $4 MILLION. SO THAT IS WHAT BEAUFORD COUNTY IS A YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. IF SHERIFF TANNER ENGAGES THE 2 87 G AGREEMENT TAXPAYER DOLLARS THAT SHOULDN'T BE GOING TO IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SHOULD BE GOING TOWARDS LOCAL POLICING AND ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE. SHERIFF, FIRST THING I WANTED TO DO IS THANK YOU BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE, UM, IMPLEMENTED THAT HAS BENEFITED COUNTY. UM, I DISAGREE WITH THIS INITIATIVE. AND THE REASON, ONE OF THOSE REASONS IS THAT I FEEL THAT IT, UM, OPENS UP THE COUNTY TO LITIGATION AND IT IT PUTS US IN A SITUATION WHERE WE, UM, MAY BE LIABLE IN THE LONG RUN. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS ONE, WHAT PORTIONS OF THE 2 87 G ARE YOU APPLYING FOR? WHICH HOW MUCH? THE, THE TASK FORCE, WHICH, OKAY, SO THE TASK FORCE, AND IT IS THE SAME ONE WE HAD BEFORE. OKAY. SO AS I UNDERSTAND THE TASK FORCE, THAT MEANS THAT THAT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND THAT WILL ALSO ENCOMPASS THE, UH, PORTION WHERE YOU WILL HAVE AN EMBEDDED, UM, OR A TRAINED OFFICER THAT WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, ENTER ICE, UM, THAT BASE AND ENTER PEOPLE WHO, UH, ARE ARRESTED OR ARRESTED. NO, THE JAIL DOES IT. THE JAIL WILL DO IT. YES. SO THERE'S A, THE JAIL ALREADY ALREADY DOES THAT. THE JAIL'S BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS. SO THEY HAVE TO APPLY FOR 2 87 G ALSO? NO, I MEAN THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY ALREADY. THEY DO, THEY THEY SEND THAT INFORMATION TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE IN CHARLESTON. THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YOU. OKAY. WHEN A PERSON GOES INTO THE JAIL, THEY HAVE A BOND AREA AND A PART OF THAT PROCESS IS AN IMMIGRATION STATUS. AND IF THERE'S SOME QUESTION ABOUT IT, THEY SEND A A, A DOCUMENT FORWARD TO, I, I DON'T GET 'EM, I DON'T SEE 'EM, BUT THEY SEND IT TO THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE IN CHARLESTON. CHARLESTON. IF CHARLESTON FEELS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A DETAINER PUT ON THAT PERSON, CHARLESTON IMMIGRATION OFFICE ISSUES THE DETAINER. OKAY. THE SECOND PART OF MY QUESTION IS THAT, UM, YOU SAID THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE SEVERAL, UM, PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE US GOVERNMENT. UM, YOU HAVE A FEDERAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, FBI AND A DA, UM, AFFILIATED, UM, OFFICERS. WITH THAT BEING SAID, THOSE OFFICERS DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT DATABASE. NO, I MEAN THEY'RE DIFFERENT DATABASES. LOOK, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND FBI AGENTS CAN [00:40:01] ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAW. IMMIGRATION AGENTS CANNOT ENFORCE BANK ROBBERY LAWS. I MEAN ICE, ICE AGENTS AND FBI AGENTS, DEA AGENTS CAN'T MAKE A DUI ARREST IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY CAN'T STOP YOU FOR SPEEDING. I MEAN, EVERYTHING HAS ITS SEPARATE JURISDICTION AND YOU KNOW, THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE IS JUST A PART OF THE JURISDICTIONAL ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH. SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING A CONTRACT WITH THE FBI DOESN'T GIVE ME ANY JURISDICTION OVER IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAVING A CONTRACT WITH THE FBI DOESN'T GET ME INTO THE I DENT AND EAGLE SOFTWARE SYSTEM. ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE INDEPENDENT OF THEMSELVES. ARREST SOME ON FOR FOUR CRIME IN COUNTY. I DIDN'T HEAR THE FIRST PART. DOES IT REQUIRE YOU, IF YOU ARREST SOMEONE UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION WHO HAS ENTERED THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY TO NOTIFY ICE? YES. THERE, HEY, LOOK, LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING NOW. EITHER, EITHER I DO IT, EITHER I DO IT ON THE FRONT END WHEN I'M INVESTIGATING A CRIME AND WE IDENTIFY THAT THIS PERSON IS HERE ILLEGALLY, OR WHEN I TAKE THEM TO THE JAIL AND DROP 'EM OFF AND THEY GO THROUGH THE BOOKING PROCESS, THE JAIL DOES IT. SO, I MEAN, IT IS WHAT IT IS. I'M USING IT AS A TOOL TO INVESTIGATE CRIME. IT ALL THESE OTHER SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. THE 2 87 G PROGRAM FOR ME IS THE INTELLIGENCE OPPORTUNITIES THAT I WILL HAVE. DID I TELL Y'ALL EARLIER THAT I'M ONLY LOOKING AT ONE DEPUTY SHERIFF? YES. THAT'S GONNA BE INVOLVED. YOU KNOW, DOES THAT SOUND LIKE THE, WE'RE GOING BE RUNNING AROUND THE COUNTY, UH, AS THE NATIONAL MEDIA PUTS OUT, UH, WITH MASK ON THE NOTE, UH, THE MARKED VEHICLES WITH NO NAME TAGS. BUT MY JOB IS TO MAKE BEAUFORT COUNTY A SAFER PLACE. YOU'RE WORKING. SURE. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING DO. I'M NOT TRYING TO RUSH YOU, BUT I WANT GET THIS LAST QUESTION OUT. M OKAY, SO, UM, WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS THAT THE FEDERAL BUREAU INVESTIGATION, WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KIDNAPPINGS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RACKETEERING, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR POLICING ALL OF THESE MAJOR CRIMES IN THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS AND THAT OUR LITTLE COUNTY NEEDS THIS INTELLIGENCE. I, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THE TWO ON THE SAME LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHEN I STARTED THIS JOB AT , MY NAME'S DON LAMBERT, I'M FROM BUFORT, CITY CITY. UM, REGARDING THE INTELLIGENCE THAT YOU MIGHT GET FROM PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM, IS THIS A PUSH SYSTEM OR A PULL SYSTEM? IN OTHER WORDS, THIS A WHAT? PUSH OR PULL INTELLIGENCE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE A CRIME, YOU HAVE A SUSPECT, YOU PULL INTELLIGENCE ON THAT ONE SPECIFIC PERSON, OR IS THIS A PUSH SYSTEM WHERE ICE CAN PUSH INFORMATION TO YOU? THESE GUYS ARE ON OUR RADAR. PICK 'EM UP. NO, I MEAN THAT'S THE SYSTEM THAT THE EAGLE SYSTEM, THE IDENTITY SYSTEM IS FOR US TO USE TO IDENTIFY A PERSON. AND HERE, LOOK FOLKS, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS TOO. AND I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU MULTIPLE COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES IS IN THAT SYSTEM AND IS USING IT EVERY DAY. SO WHEN THAT INFORMATION IS PUSHED OUT FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY, IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THAT INFORMATION. IF THAT PERSON IS HERE AND WE ARE INVESTIGATING THAT PERSON FOR COMMITTING A CRIME, IT'S SEPARATE THAN OTHER FEDERAL SYSTEMS, BUT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE PARTICIPATING IN IT. AND THE INFORMATION IN THERE IS, IS IS RELIABLE AND IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. WILL ICE PUSH INFORMATION TO YOU? AND WHATEVER, WHATEVER INFORMATION WE GET, THEN OF COURSE WE ENTER THAT INFORMATION INTO THE SYSTEM. IT'S, I MEAN, IT IS A TWO WEEK STREET. I SO ICE WILL PUSH INFORMATION TO YOU REGARDING PEOPLE THAT AREN'T CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR A CRIME. CORRECT. ICE PUTS INFORMATION IN THE SYSTEM. OKAY. IF WE QUERY IT BASED ON A CONTACT, THEN THE INFORMATION WILL BE IN THE SYSTEM. BUT IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICE OUT OF CHARLESTON IS GOING TO DUMP AND FLOOD STUFF ON US ABOUT THINGS, PEOPLE WE NEED TO GO LOOK AT FOR COUNTY BECAUSE THEY'RE HERE ILLEGALLY. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BETWEEN OH EIGHT AND 12, I DON'T CARE HAPPEN. AINT GONNA HAPPEN. NOW. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT LOGICAL. SIR, ONE COMMENT ON YOUR ONGOING AS ASSERTION THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY PAST IS PROLOGUE PEOPLE PAST IS PROLOGUE. OKAY. WE SEE THIS HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE'VE SEEN IT IN THE PAST. PEOPLE HAVE A LEGITIMATE CONCERN THAT THIS IS THE CAMEL'S NOSE UNDER THE TENT, THAT IT WILL HAPPEN HERE AND IT'LL START SMALL. THANK YOU. [00:45:08] I HAVE ONLY ONE QUESTION. MY NAME IS LOUISE GIBSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. WHAT IS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GOING TO DO WHEN ICE AGENTS SHOW UP TO ARREST PEOPLE WEARING MASKS AS IN THE KU KLUX KLAN DAYS IN UNMARKED CARS AND ARMED WITH WEAPONS, ALL WITHOUT DUE PROCESS, A CORNERSTONE OF OUR DEMOCRACY? YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ASK A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION. I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION AND I GET THOSE QUITE OFTEN, . BUT ARE WE GONNA BE DIFFERENT THAN THE REST OF THE NATION? NO. NO. LOOK, I MEAN, I WATCH THE NEWS JUST LIKE YOU DO. I MEAN, I I I SEE THE NEWS. I'M NOT BLIND TO IT OR IGNORANT TO IT, BUT I MEAN, THE HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING THAT I WOULD DO WOULD TO BE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE AND CHECKING THEIR IDENTIFICATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS AND THEN MAKE SURE THEY'RE WORKING UNDER THE COLOR OF LAW AND THEY HAVE THE DOCUMENTS THEY NEED TO, TO DO WHATEVER THEIR JOB MAY BE. THAT'S ALL I CAN DO. BUT WHY DO YOU NEED TO WEAR A MASK IN ANY OF THEM? YOU KNOW, I MIGHT HAVE TO WEAR A MASK IF I'M DOING THAT. THE JOKE, THE JOKE IS THIS, THAT HADN'T HAPPENED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND I DON'T FORESEE IT HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. LOOK, LOOK YOU DO. AND, AND THIS IS JUST WHAT I HEAR. I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW PERSONALLY, BUT YOU KNOW, THE REASONS WHY THESE, THESE OFFICERS, THESE FEDERAL AGENTS, THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS, YOU KNOW WHY THEY'RE WEARING MASKS? YOU KNOW, WHY THEY'VE GOTTEN THEIR NAME TAGS REMOVED FROM THEIR UNIFORM. BAD THINGS ABOUT ONLINE BECAUSE THEY'RE PROTECTING THEIR SELF AND THEIR FAMILY NOT GONNA ASK YOU MORE QUESTIONS, BUT YOUR DEPUTIES DO A GOOD JOB. AND THEY DON'T WEAR MASKS. THEY DON'T NEED TO WEAR MASKS TO PROTECT THEIR FAMILIES. THEY, MY MY DEPUTIES DON'T NEED TO WEAR A MASK AND I EXPECT, AND SO NOBODY DOES. WELL, I THINK SO, BUT, AND I EXPECT THE, UH, MY NAME IS SHAWNEE BOYD. UM, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS APPLIED. YOU HAVE APPLIED HAVE, BUT WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM. I HAVE NOT. OKAY. AND ACCEPTING WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THE ADVANTAGES OF THE TECHNICAL BACKUP TO THIS. UM, AND THERE ARE, BUT WITH A PROGRAM WITH SUCH FAR REACHING IMPLICATIONS, WHICH GO BEYOND WHAT YOUR DEFENSE OF IT, IF WE WERE TO SURVEY THE OPINIONS IN THIS ROOM, SHOULD SOMETHING SO SIGNIFICANT AS THIS BE LEFT SOLELY TO THE DISCRETION OF YOUR OFFICE AND YOU, SHOULD THAT NOT BE A BROADER PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OR DENIAL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM? WELL, IT'S, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN THIS, WHEN THIS WAS REPORTED, UM, TO BE A PUBLIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT HERE AND ASK ME SOME QUESTIONS, OF COURSE, WHEN THAT HAPPENS AND MY EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONLINE, THEN I GET EMAILS. AND I CAN TELL YOU I GOT AS MANY EMAILS, UH, FROM THOSE THAT SUPPORT THE 2 87 G PROGRAM AS THOSE THAT DON'T SUPPORT THE 2 87 G PROGRAM. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IS THE PUBLIC IS INVOLVED. I'M, I'M HEARING WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU TALKING TO YOU. I'M NOT SITTING IN MY OFFICE ANSWERING EMAILS AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING. AND, AND THERE'S JUST AS MANY THAT, THAT SUPPORT THE PROGRAM THAT DON'T SUPPORT IT. I MEAN, IT IS, YOU, YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. IT IS A 50 50 PROGRAM HERE. SO, AND LOOK, THIS, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT ONLY ON, ON A, ON A, UH, VOTING CARD FOR Y'ALL TO VOTE ON. THIS IS DIDN'T COME UP DURING THE LAST ELECTION. AND THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE AMENDMENT ON THE 26TH ELECTION. THIS IS A DECISION THAT'S MADE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY REASONS ONLY. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL DECISION BY ME. AND IF ANYONE IN HERE THINKS THAT THIS IS, THIS IS POLITICS FOR ME TO MAKE A DECISION TO JOIN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SO FAR REMOVED FROM REALITY, IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY. THE REALITY IS, I KNOW BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT TOOLS THIS AGENCY NEEDS TO MAKE BEAUFORT COUNTY A SAFER PLACE. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO DO WITH THOSE TOOLS. IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT, IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME. [00:50:01] HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WITH ME IN THIS OFFICE? THE ANSWER IS NO. I POLICE CITIZENS EVERY DAY. AND THESE MEN AND WOMEN THAT WORK HERE DO A AMAZING JOB AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO AN AMAZING JOB. THEY RESPECT EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTY. THEY APPRECIATE EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTY. BUT LAWS HAVE TO BE ENFORCED. AND THE 2 87 G PROGRAM IS A SMALL ENTRY INTO A DOOR OF A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO REMAIN SAFE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO'S LIVING IN YOUR COMMUNITY. NEITHER DO I. WE ALWAYS WANT TO THINK THE BEST OF EVERYONE, AND WE SHOULD GIVE EVERYONE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT. BUT THERE ARE BAD ACTORS IN EVERY COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY THIS COUNTY, BUT THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA. AND IF SOUTH CAROLINA LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH THE SLED IS A PART OF THE 2 87 G PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER AGENCIES IN THIS STATE ARE TOO. AND GUESS WHAT? FINE. YOU DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO. I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IN BUFORT COUNTY AND IN BUFORT COUNTY. INFORMATION IS WHAT I NEED AND INFORMATION HELPS US MAKE THIS COMMUNITY SAFE. BOTTOM LINE. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. BUT CAN YOU, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ABOUT RUNNING AND KICKING IN DOORS AND DOING ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON CNN OR N-S-N-B-C OR FOX OR ANY OF 'EM. IF YOU'RE WATCHING THAT. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GETTING YOUR INFORMATION AND THAT FROM FACEBOOK AND ALL THE OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS, I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU AND AIN'T HAPPENING TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE NOT YET. CAN YOU GIVE US A GUARANTEE, NOT PROMISE, BUT IT'S NOT, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE THERE ALL THAT, ALL THAT NOTWITHSTANDING, IT STILL COMES DOWN TO YOUR DECISION. AND IT SEEMS TO ME WITH I OUR, OUR SITUATION SUCH AS IT IS NATIONALLY AND THE OPINIONS, UH, NATIONALLY, THAT SOMETHING SO SIGNIFICANT AS THIS SHOULD BE MADE AS A PUBLIC DECISION, AS A VOTE DECISION, NOT AS AN INDIVIDUAL DISCRETION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. MAYBE Y'ALL CAN CONVINCE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL OR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO PUT IT, YOU KNOW, TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY WILL, BUT I MEAN, BEFORE WE GET TO THE NEXT QUESTION, YOU GOT 10 MINUTES, UM, AFTER TERRY MURRAY, THIS GENTLEMAN, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE IT, RIGHT? THAT'S FINE. OKAY. YEAH, WE GOT, WE GOT 10 MINUTES. I GOT, WE GOTTA BE OUT FOR THE DECK. YES, MA'AM. UM, I WANNA BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME. I REALLY, REALLY DO. I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU TRULY AND YOUR DEPARTMENT ARE HERE TO PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND DEFEND THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORD COUNTY. I THINK FOR MANY OF US HERE, THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T TRUST THE PEOPLE IN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND WHAT WE, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND WHAT WE SEE IS HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY IN VARIOUS COMMUNITIES. SO I HEAR YOU SAY THAT IT WON'T HAPPEN HERE. I THINK MANY OF US THINK, HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT? AND I CAN SEE ON YOUR SIDE OF THE EQUATION WE'RE GOING INTO THIS PROGRAM WILL GIVE YOU ADDED TOOLS. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY HERE WHO WOULD ARGUE THAT IF WE HAVE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN THIS COUNTRY WHO ARE TRULY COMMITTING CRIMES, THEY NEED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE LIKE THAT. BUT WE DON'T WANT RACIAL PROFILING. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE ILLEGAL BUT ARE WORKING HARD, CONTRIBUTING TO OUR COMMUNITY. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BE HARASSED. SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, HOW CAN YOU ASSURE US, AND WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR THESE PEOPLE IF DONALD TRUMP GIVES THE ORDER TO PAM BONDY, WHO GIVES THE ORDER TO HENRY MCMASTER, WHO GIVES THE ORDER TO ALAN WILSON, WHO GIVES THE ORDER TO YOU? I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM ANYONE. DO WE HAVE YOUR WORD ON THAT, THAT YOU WOULD OFFEND ON PEOPLE? THAT IS THE LAW IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SHERIFFS DON'T WORK FOR ANYONE BUT THE CITIZENS THEY SERVE. SO WHEN THEY COME IN, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND DEFEND THE PEOPLE HERE? THAT'S MY, I MEAN, AGAIN, THE HYPOTHETICAL SIDE OF THAT, IF HENRY MCMASTER, THE GOVERNOR IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ALLEN WILSON, IF THEY'RE INVOLVED, UH, WITH ANY KIND OF ENFORCEMENT AT THE STATE LEVEL, THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO DO. I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE 2 87 G PROGRAM. SO DO YOU JUST BASICALLY STEP ASIDE, IS THERE NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO TRY AND INTERVENE WHEN YOU THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING ILLEGALLY ROUNDED UP? NO. I MEAN, THERE ARE THINGS THAT I CAN DO IF I THINK THAT SOMEONE IS ACTING NOT ON BEHALF CALL THE [00:55:01] LAW, ABSOLUTELY I CAN DO THOSE THINGS. BUT I DON'T, I DON'T EXPECT TO CONSIDER KNOWING THESE PEOPLE LIKE I DO, UH, THAT THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING. LOOK, HENRY MASTER KNOWS THE CONSTITUTION AND INSIDE OUT JACKSON HE'S BEEN IN AND, AND HE'S BEEN IN EVERY PART IN THE SYSTEM. AND IF ANYONE PROTECTS THE US CONSTITUTION AND THE SOUTH COURT CONSTITUTION, IT'S MCMASTER WHOOP, I KNOW. FOR YEARS. SO I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN. BUT IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, RIGHT, I WILL DO MY JOB AND MAKE SURE THAT SETS, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY CITIZEN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE VENUE WITH WHICH I SPOKE TO YOU BEFORE, BUT NOT THE PASSION. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. I HAVE, I WON'T. I PROMISE. I'VE BEEN TALKED THROUGH A LOT LATELY. I, UM, SEXISM FOLKS, UM, I WILL NOT ADDRESS THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID HERE BEFORE, BUT WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IS VERY DEEPLY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OKAY. AND DOES RELATE TO THE TOPICS. VERY DEFINITELY. SO, AND I PROMISE YOU THERE'S A QUESTION AT THE END AND I WILL, I KNOW I WANT HIM TO TALK. OKAY. SO IN 2008 TO 2012, THE, UM, DOCUMENT, THE AGREEMENT THAT YOU'VE REFERRED TO WAS DIRECTED AT A VERY DIFFERENT POPULATION OF INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTRY FOR ONE THING. OKAY. SO THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT IN THAT, THAT I UNDOUBTEDLY IS IMPACTING. I DIDN'T LIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR ALL OF THAT TIME, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY IN WAYS THAT PERHAPS 2008, 2012 DIDN'T, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED, MY OWN RELATIVE WAS STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, SUPPOSEDLY GENTLEMAN IN HIS LATE FIFTIES FOR, UM, A, A PAPERWORK ERROR TRIAL, UH, VI TRAFFIC VIOLATION ON THE PART OF THE MUNICIPALITY. AND HE WAS THEN ARRESTED FOR RA RACIALLY PROFILED AS BEING OF MUSLIM ARABIC DESCENT. HE IS AN ITALIAN SICILIAN. OKAY? AND HE WAS ARRESTED AND IT TOOK UNDER THIS SAME AGREEMENT THAT A MUNICIPALITY THAT IS FAR MORE SOPHISTICATED AND FAR MORE HAS ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAN BEAUFORT WILL EVER HAVE. AND IT TOOK THEM 48 HOURS TO SORT IT OUT. AND I HAVE EVERY REASON AND A LOT OF PRESSURE AND A LOT OF LEGAL PRESSURE. I HAVE NO DOUBT IF THIS HAPPENED TODAY IN ANY MUNICIPALITY IN THIS COUNTRY, THAT HE WOULD BE ON HIS WAY TO A DETENTION CENTER. HE WAS DENIED HIS RIGHT TO PHONE CALL. HE WAS, I MEAN, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SEEING PLAYED OUT NOW HAPPENED TO A VERY DEAR RELATIVE OF MINE. IN, IN THAT TIME PERIOD THAT YOU DESCRIBED. WHERE, WHERE WAS THAT AT? WHAT, WHAT STATE? WHERE, WHERE, WHAT? NEW YORK CITY. OH, OKAY. SO THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN HERE. I SAID IT HAPPENED IN A MUNICIPALITY THAT WOULD NEVER, BEAUFORT COULD NEVER MATCH AT WHAT, WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? IT WAS 2009. 2009, OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. SO, OKAY, SO ALL THE TALK ABOUT 2008, 2012 FOR WHAT DID OR DIDN'T HAPPEN OR WHO WAS BEING PROFILED, YOU KNOW, HAS A WHOLE OTHER HISTORY COMPOUNDING IT. OKAY. I MOVED HERE WITH MY FAMILY AND MY SON IS INDIGENOUS AND IN BY BIRTH HE IS A FULL AMERICAN CITIZEN. THE MAMA, WE MOVED HERE BEFORE IN 2009. WE HAVE WORRIED ABOUT HOW HE IS PERCEIVED, SORRY TO THOSE OF YOU WHO FEEL YOU HAVE NO PREJUDICE OR WHATEVER, BUT HE IS EXPERIENCED SO MUCH IN HIS LIFE, BUT PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY SPEAK SPANISH TO HIM BECAUSE THEY THINK [01:00:01] HE'S A SPANISH OR A LATINO. I'M SAYING, HERE'S MY QUESTION. OKAY. MY HUSBAND, MYSELF, THANK YOU. AND I HAVE NOT SLEPT, AWAKE, WORRIED ABOUT UNDER YOUR JURISDICTION, SHERIFF, HIM BEING STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION AND WINDING UP IN SOME DETENTION CENTER SOMEPLACE. I HAVE ASKED NUMEROUS PEOPLE IN VARIOUS POSITIONS, WHAT DOES HE DO IF HE'S PULLED OVER? 'CAUSE IT WOULD BE RACIALLY PROFILING WHAT IT WOULD WELL, IF HE HASN'T COMMITTED A CRIME. OH, OKAY. AND HE'S PULLED OVER. OKAY. WHICH HE DIDN'T COMMIT A CRIME. HE DID. NO. PLEASE TELL ME, AND I'M ASKING YOU IN ALL SINCERITY, THIS, THIS IS YOUR JURISDICTION. DOES HE HAVE APPLICATION? WHAT DOES HE DO? HE IS AN AMERICAN. SURE. HE IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. I MEAN, HE'S GOT A, HE'S A DRIVER'S LICENSE. HE HAS BOOK. IS HE, IS HE HE'S NOT DRIVING UNDER SUSPENSION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT. IF, IF HE COMMITTED, IF HE VIOLATED A LAW LIKE SPEEDING OR RUN A STOP SIGN OR RELAY, HE IS PROBABLY GONNA GET A TRAFFIC TICKET FOR WHATEVER THE OFFENSE IS. HE WILL STOP THAT. I UNDERSTAND. BUT WHAT IF SOMEBODY SEES HIM DRIVING BY AND LET ME TELL THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO MY RELATIVE UNTIL THEY LOOKED IT UP AFTER THE FACT. WHAT DO PEOPLE THIS, I'M SORRY. OKAY. I'D LIKE AN ANSWER THOUGH. PLEASE. WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO? 'CAUSE NOBODY HAS BEEN, WELL, THE OFFICER'S GONNA ASK HIM FOR HIS ID AND PROOF OF INSURANCE AND REGISTRATION THAT HE JUST NEEDS TO GIVE THAT TO THE OFFICER AND HE SHOULD SHOW THAT. IS HE REQUIRED TO SHOW IT LICENSE? GOOD. EVERYTHING IS GOOD. HE'LL PROBABLY FOR WHAT? I KNOW I'M HERE. SO, UM, SHERIFF TANNER AND IF AN UNDOCUMENTED WORKER BECOMES A VICTIM OF FRAUD FROM BUILDERS OR HOTELS THAT HIRE THEM WAGE THEFT OR A MINOR NON-VIOLENT OFFENSE, HOW CAN THEY FEEL SAFE CALLING YOUR OFFICE UNDER THIS PROGRAM? WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE TO ENSURE VICTIMS AREN'T TURNED OVER TO ICE SIMPLY FOR ASKING FOR YOUR PROTECTION IN A COUNTY THEY LOVE AND PROVIDE FOR TOO? WELL, IF THEY CALL US AND FILE A REPORT, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHO, WHO BUILT THEM OUT OF THE MONEY AND WE'RE GONNA GET THEIR MONEY. AND HOW CAN BEAUFORT COUNTY ESTABLISH THAT TRUST WITH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY? WE HAVE THAT TRUST OR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. WE HAVE THAT TRUST. BUT WHERE DO YOU GET THAT INFORMATION FROM? LIKE WHERE, WHO TOLD YOU YOU HAVE THAT TRUST? LOOK, MY 250 DEPUTIES THAT WORK ON THESE STREETS EVERY DAY AND EVERY NIGHT HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY. RIGHT. BUT YOU ARE BEAUFORT COUNTY TOO. SO CITY OF BLUFFTON TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, CITY OF PORT ROYAL, CITY OF BEAUFORD POLICE. WE POLICE HILTON HEAD. RIGHT. SO YOU, FROM YOUR 250 DEPUTIES, I OVER 50,000 PEOPLE. I CAN'T, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFING OR BUFORD OR FORT ROYAL, BUT OKAY. SO AGAIN, MY, MY QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH THAT TRUST WITH THE LATINO COMMUNITY AS FAR AS BEING ABLE TO REPORT THESE ISSUES WITH THE, WITHOUT BEING? WE, WE TAKE THOSE REPORTS QUITE OFTEN AND, BUT SERIOUSLY, LIKE WITH UNDER THE PROGRAM OF 2 8 7 G, HOW ARE THEY PROTECTED? LIKE YOU GUYS WON'T, THEY'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROGRAM. 'CAUSE I MEAN, THEY WANT TO BE, THEY WANT, THEY'RE VICTIMS OF A CRIME. THEY'RE PROTECTED AS VICTIMS OF CRIME KNOW THAT. OKAY. SO THEIR DOCUMENTATION UNDER YOUR EAGLE SYSTEM PROGRAM WILL NOT BE, THEY, THEY GET A U VISA. OH. AND WE, AND, AND THOSE THINGS ARE ISSUED. SO, I MEAN, LOOK, THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, AND LOOK, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2 87 G IF, IF Y'ALL ARE ZEROING IN OR COMPLETELY FOCUSING ON ONE NATIONALITY, AND YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERING ALL THE OTHER ISSUES OUT THERE THAT ARE A THREAT TO UNITED STATES AND POTENTIALLY SOUTH CAROLINA, POTENTIALLY BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE MILITARY BASES THAT WE HAVE, AND YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERING ALL THE OTHER FACTORS THAT, THAT WE HAVE NEVER VETTED AS A COUNTRY WHO'S WHO, WHY ARE THEY HERE AND WHAT'S THEIR INTENT WHILE BEING HERE, FOLKS, Y'ALL GOTTA LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE. DON'T JUST DON'T, DON'T, DON'T JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE LATINO HISPANIC COMMUNITY. IT'S, BUT IT'S ALL IMMIGRANTS. THAT'S I'VE HEARD TODAY, BUT WAIT A MINUTE NOW. BUT WE'RE MOSTLY AFFECTED IN THIS COMMUNITY. WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE REPRESENTED? WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUFORT COUNTY. YEAH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUFORT COUNTY COMING HERE. AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE ABILITY TO VET PEOPLE. I'M NOT [01:05:01] SITTING HERE TELLING YOU THAT I'M ONLY GOING TO VET THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY OR, OR, OR LATINO COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY. I'M GOING TO VET EVERYONE THAT IS INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. AND IF THEY'RE A THREAT TO THIS COUNTY, TO YOUR SAFETY, TO THIS STATE AND TO THESE UNITED STATES, THEN WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH 'EM APPROPRIATELY. THAT IS THE JOB THAT WE DO EVERY DAY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. BUT YOU DO THAT ALREADY. YOU DON'T NEED THE PROGRAM FOR THAT. YES, I DO. FOR THE DATABASE, FOR THE TECHNOLOGY. OKAY. SO YOU'RE SAYING, JUST TO ESTABLISH, I JUST WANT YOU TO ANSWER THIS FINAL QUESTION, AND I'LL LEAVE THE, THE SCALE OF YOU, THE PROGRAM, THE NEED OF THAT DATABASE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMMUNITY TRUST TO YOU. WE HAVE COMMUNITY TRUST. OKAY. BUT, BUT WHO SAID THAT? OKAY. I GUESS THAT'S FINE. WE COMMUNITY. I, OKAY, THAT'S FINE. I WISH YOU WOULD LISTEN MORE TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S OKAY. I, I LISTEN QUITE A BIT TO 'EM AND THESE DEPUTIES SEE 'EM EVERY DAY IN EVERY CAPACITY. VICTIMS OR SUSPECTS. YES, MA'AM. AND I DO APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT ALL THE DEPUTIES DO. IT'S A DANGEROUS JOB. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE WHEN THEY GO UP TO A HOUSE OR A CAR. THEY HAVE NO IDEA. AND I DO APPRECIATE IT. I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT. THANK HONOR. THANK YOU. UM, AND THEY'RE GOOD. THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE. UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOW AND 2008 AND 2012, AND I WAS HERE THEN, UM, THE WHAT'S GOING ON NOW IS ABSOLUTELY UNPRECEDENTED. AND WHAT I'M SEEING, AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THIS IS A PERSON THAT WAS PULLED OVER IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHO WAS THEN, NO, SOUTH CAROLINA DL TAKEN TO STEWART. OUR JURISDICTION, THEN ILLEGALLY TRANSFERRED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO OTERO. NOW HE'S IN OTERO. I HAD, HE WENT, WENT WHERE? TO OTERO DETENTION CENTER IN EL PASO, TEXAS. WAIT, WAIT, LET'S GO BACK. HE WAS STOPPED AT BUFORT COUNTY. HE STOPPED IN BUFORT COUNTY, BCSO AND, AND FOR NO, SOUTH CAROLINA, INDIANA. HE ENDED UP WHERE STEWART, WHICH IS OUR JURISDICTION, STEWART DETENTION CENTER, IS OUR JURISDICTION. THERE WAS AN ICE HOLD. WE WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN HIM THERE. YOU DIDN'T TAKE HIM. YOU TOOK HIM TO BUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER. DETENTION CENTER AND THEN DETENTION CENTER. NOTIFIED ICE. NOTIFIED ICE. AND HE WENT, OKAY. AND HERE'S THE OTHER THING. OKAY. NORMALLY IN BEFORE THIS, I COULD GET HIM OUT IN BOND BECAUSE IT'S NOT A FELONY CRIME. RIGHT. GET HIM OUT ON BOND AND HAVE HIM ADJUDICATE HIS IMMIGRATION PROCESS THROUGH UCSS AND NOT THE COURTS. RIGHT. HOWEVER, I FILED THE BOND HEARING AND TWO DAYS LATER, WHICH IS ALSO A VIOLATION OF ICE REGULATIONS, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO OTERO. SO HIS BOND HEARING WAS CANCELED. AND WE HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER BOND HEARING OUT IN OTERO. AND I REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA GO NOT WELL, AND IT DIDN'T, BUT WE HAD A HEARING AND I WON THE HEARING. 2% GET ASYLUM. THIS KID NEEDS ASYLUM. OKAY? 2%. OKAY. MAY 27TH, THE JUDGE THAT HEARD HARVARD GRADUATE GRANTED US ASYLUM CANNOT GET THAT MAN OUT OF OTTER. THEY TRIED TO DROP HIM OFF IN MEXICO. HE REFUSED TO GET OFF THE BUS. I FILED A STAY OF RELIEF OF REMOVAL. I FILED THINGS WITH ICE. I'M ABOUT TO DO A HABEAS. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. LIKE I UNDERSTAND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER ICE. I I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE HAVING MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES, AND I HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION WHICH I WON'T GO INTO, BUT IT ALSO HAPPENED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. BUT THE THINGS THAT, THIS STARTS THE BALL ROLLING, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF. AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE THINGS I'VE SEEN GOING ON NOW SINCE JANUARY 20TH ARE VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE LANDSCAPE IN IMMIGRATION COURT OR HOW WE OPERATED AS ATTORNEYS PRIOR. AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT I THINK IS WHAT I THANK YOU. I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, BUT THANK YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE GOT. YEAH. I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. YES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND I WANNA TAKE THIS COUPLE OF MINUTES OR SO. I HAVE DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT I DO WANNA ADDRESS THE, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, COUNTY COUNCIL TIME. YES. SO, UH, MY NAME IS ALEX. I'M A, UH, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS VETERAN. UH, I'M ALSO A BUSINESS OWNER AND I REPRESENT THE HISPANIC BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. UH, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT SCIENCE, WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE DATA THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO COLLECT AND I SUPPORT YOUR, UM, DEPARTMENT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I DO NOT SUPPORT YOUR DECISION. WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT BEFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY. WE MET ON ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. YES, SIR. WE DID. SO MY CONCERN IS THAT WE, WE ALSO TALK ABOUT 2012, 2007. RIGHT NOW, IN 2025, THINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT HERE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. OKAY. FOR THE LATINO COMMUNITY, REPRESENTING MORE THAN 14% HERE IN BEFORD COUNTY IS A BIG CHANGE. FROM 2008, HUGE CHANGE. 33% OF THE STUDENTS IN BEFORD COUNTY ARE LATINOS. [01:10:01] AND THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO TAKE THIS TO HEART. THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE GONNA BE MOST AFFECTED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THEM. THEY ARE THE FABRIC OF OUR FUTURE COMMUNITY. THEY ARE, THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE LABOR FORCE, THE PEOPLE OPENING BUSINESSES IN THE FUTURE. AND THE DAMAGE THAT WE ARE GOING TO CAUSE BY GOING INTO THIS IS VERY, VERY, UM, IT'S HUGE. RIGHT. WE DON'T EASILY TALK ABOUT THE SLAVERY TODAY. RIGHT. EVEN THOUGH IT ENDED 160 YEARS, BUT THE DAMAGE THAT IT CAUSED TO MANY, MANY OTHER GENERATIONS IN THE FUTURE STILL EXISTS. WE FEEL ASHAMED ABOUT SLAVERY. WE DON'T FEEL PROUD. SOMETIMES WE DISMISS IT. YEAH. MY, MY PARENTS OR MY FAMILY DIDN'T OWN ANY SLAVES. WELL, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T SEE ANY CHANGE. WE DON'T SEE ANY PUBLIC AUCTIONS, BUT THE SAME EFFECT IS GOING TO HAVE IN THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF LATINOS HERE IN THE BEFOR COUNTY. MY QUESTION TO THE CONS IS WE NEED TO DO SOME STUDY. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THE FUTURE LEADERS OF THIS PLACE AND WHAT CAN WE DO RIGHT, UH, IN THE CHARITY DEPARTMENT TO BUILD THAT TRUST. YOU SAY WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY. YOU DO, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A FUEL FULL TRUST WITHIN THE LATINO COMMUNITY. THAT'S JUST A FACT. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO KNOWING THAT THE MEDIUM AGE FOR WHITES AND B FOUR COUNTY IS 55 AND THE MEDIUM AGE FOR LATINOS IS 25. WE HAVE A 30 YEAR DIFFERENCE. THAT'S ONE GENERATION MISSION. THEREFORE, MANY SYSTEMS, MANY ELECTED LEADERS ARE MISSING THE TARGET. WE'RE NOT CONCERNED OF WHAT'S COMING. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESENT AND NOT THE FUTURE. WHAT CAN YOU DO? WHAT CAN YOUR DEPARTMENT DO TO ADDRESS THIS? WHAT CAN YOUR DEPARTMENT DO IN COLLABORATION WITH THE CO, WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO, TO EARN THE TRUST OR THE NEXT GENERATION OF LATINOS HERE IN BEFOR? I MEAN, I, I'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION AGAIN BECAUSE YOU KNOW, LET, LET ME WHY I'M, WHY I'M ANSWERING THIS QUESTION AND I, AND I, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU YOUR TIME. OKAY. I'LL, I'LL USE YOUR TIME. HOW MANY, HOW MANY OF YOU THAT I, WE MET ON HILTON MODE? YES, SIR. AND WE, WE HAD A CONVERSATION AND WHATNOT. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HELPED SOMEONE, DO YOU KNOW, THAT'S HERE ILLEGALLY WORK TOWARDS THEIR CITIZENSHIP? HOW MANY OF HAVE YOU HAVE TO WELL, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHAT WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE MEETING. YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY. JUST, JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE IF YOU WERE TO GO TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND YOU DO NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK, IDENTIFICATION AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF, THEY'RE GOING TO VET YOU JUST LIKE WE SHOULD VET PEOPLE. SO YOUR JOB, YOUR JOB, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. NOT GOING TO TRY, NOT TODAY, NOT ANY DAY. BUT YOUR JOB, A PART OF YOUR JOB IS TO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT YOU KNOW ARE HERE ILLEGALLY TO DO THEIR PAPERWORK AND GET ON THE RIGHT TRACK. THAT'S SO THING DONE AT THE SAME TIME, AT, AT THE SAME TIME WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMUNITY, THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE SAFE. DON'T WORK AGAINST THE GRAIN, WORK WITH THE GRAIN. THE BENEFITS ARE FAR GREATER TIME TO DO IT. YES. WE, WE DO THAT. LISTEN, WAS ALL YOURS? YOU GOT THREE MINUTES. THANK YOU, . MY NAME IS TERRY MURRAY AND I APPRECIATE SO MUCH YOUR ABSOLUTELY. YOUR BEING HERE OF THIS EVENING AND ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. I AGREE WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING AND ALL THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED HERE TONIGHT. I THINK THERE WAS ONE QUESTION THAT I WAS VERY INTERESTED IN THAT YOU DIDN'T ANSWER IF I UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY. AND THAT WAS HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST? OH, OKAY. AND WE HEARD THAT THERE ARE, I THOUGHT, A, A PRETTY LARGE EXPENSE IN CHARLESTON COUNTY. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT YOU'RE AN INDEPENDENT ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT COUNTY COUNCIL CONTROLS YOUR BUDGET. AND SO I WOULD, THEY APPROVE MY BUDGET. THEY DON'T CONTROL IT. THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. PERHAPS YOU'RE PARSING WORDS AND PERHAPS I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE YEAH. MY BUDGET'S APPROVED, UH, THROUGH A PROCESS. AND THEN ONCE MY BUDGET IS APPROVED AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET, UM, BUT THE APPROVAL PROCESS, WELL, LET, LET ME HELP. WELL, NO, JUST PLEASE. AND I'M GONNA, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT COST. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY? BOTH. OKAY. DIRECTLY. NOTHING INDIRECTLY A DEPUTY STARTING SALARY, 60,000 A VEHICLE AND ALL THE ISSUED EQUIPMENT 125,000 DIRECTLY, NOTHING. FORGIVE ME. I THINK THIS ANSWER AND THAT DEPUTY HAS, MAY I CONTINUE MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES, MAY I CONTINUE? YES, MA'AM. I I MEAN I GIVE IT TO YOU. I I WILL [01:15:01] RESPECTFULLY SAY THAT I THINK THIS ANSWER, LIKE ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS HAVE BEEN VERY DISINGENUOUS. AND YOU'RE TALKING DOWN TO US. NO, WHEN YOU ASK A QUESTION ON HOW MUCH IT COSTS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE COST. ICE DOES NOT CHARGE BEAUFORT COUNTY TO BE A PART. THEY DO ALL THE TRAINING, THEY PROVIDE ALL THE TECHNOLOGY, THE TRAINING AND EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO BE CONTRACT. AUSTIN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS FOR WHATEVER ENTITY IS TRAINED AS AN IMMIGRATION AGENT THAT HAS A JOB ALREADY. THIS IS A SECONDARY TYPE SCENARIO. AND IT'S BASED ON THE APPLICATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHEN IT COMES TO INTELLIGENCE. IT'S NOT EVEN WHAT I CALL IT. IT'S NOT, THAT IS THE SALARY OF A DEPUTY WITH A UNIFORM. AND, AND, AND THAT IS, THAT'S NOT EVEN COUNTING ALL THE OTHER THINGS IN THERE. SO LOOK, THAT'S THE COST. IF YOU'RE THINK, IF YOU'RE COMING HERE THINKING THAT COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED A MILLION DOLLARS FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM, COUNTY COUNCIL DID NOT APPROVE A RED CENT FOR ME TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM. WHEN I WENT TO COUNTY COUNCIL WITH MY BUDGET THIS YEAR, 2 87, G IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WAS NEVER A PART OF THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS. I DON'T MEAN THAT IN, IN AN OFFENSIVE WAY. THE REALITY IS THIS IS NOT A COSTLY ISSUE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT MY OFFICE DOES AND THE FURTHERANCE OF THIS JOB. I DON'T THINK THAT'S, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT. I THINK WE'RE WORRIED. WELL, THAT'S, THAT WAS A QUESTION. LEMME FINISH. OKAY. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK WHAT WE'RE WORRIED IS THAT OUR AFFILIATION WITH HONOR, WE'LL MAKE THIS MORE LIKELY A TARGET FOR THEM TO COME IN AND DO ONE OF THE WHATEVER IT, THE MATTER THAT WE ARE AFFILIATED, I THINK DOES MAKE THIS A CITY, I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING YOU WANTING TO LISTEN TO US. I MEAN, I'VE HEARD ALL THESE COMMENTS ABOUT THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION AND IF, IF, IF THERE'S A SHERIFF IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT DOESN'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE, UH, WITH WHAT HE IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, WOULDN'T YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE THE WORST END OF IT? SHALL NO. OH, OKAY. ALRIGHT. WELL, THANK Y'ALL FOR. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.