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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORD COUNTY.
I'D LIKE TO START ON TIME, SO I JUST WANNA, UM, THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS, UH, GENERATED THIS MEETING.
LORD KNOWS I DON'T INTERFERE WITH THE SHERIFF.
I'M ANNA MARIE TAVERNA, VICE CHAIR OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX, WHICH IS MOST OF SUN CITY AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO NEW RIVERSIDE ON ONE 70.
MS. BROWN, MY NAME IS PAULA BROWN AND I, UH, REPRESENT DISTRICT EIGHT, WHICH IS THE EAST SIDE OF 2 78.
SIR TOM RE I, UH, REPRESENT DISTRICT 11.
IS THIS, IT'S ON, IS IT ON NOW? YES.
AH, TOM RES, DISTRICT 11, MOST OF HILTON HEAD.
I'M YO LOVE, DISAGREE, SO WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU.
WE'RE SO GLAD YOU CAME OUT FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
THE CONVERSATION WILL RUN FIVE 30 TO SIX 30 AND I TURN IT OVER TO THE SHERIFF.
UH, EVERYONE HEAR ME OKAY? YES, SIR.
WE'VE BEEN UP HERE PLAYING WITH MICROPHONES AND I KNEW THAT WOULD PROBABLY GIVE SOME FEEDBACK.
CAN WE JUST UNPLUG, HAVE YOU STILL GOT SOUND? OKAY, GOOD.
SINCE WE USED UP ABOUT TWO MINUTES OF MIC TIME.
WE SET PARAMETERS AND RULES ON JULY 8TH, UH, WHILE WE WERE IN OUR BUFORT MEETING.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING TODAY.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE FOLKS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE EITHER GOING TO BE OPPOSED TO THE 2 87 G.
DOES THAT ONE WORK? GET FEEDBACK? YOU GOT A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY.
HOW ABOUT NOW? WELL, THAT'S A LOT BETTER.
THERE ARE, EVERYONE HEAR ME? OKAY.
WE KNOW, 'CAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HERE ARE GOING TO BE OPPOSED TO THE 2 87 G PROGRAM.
AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE THOSE THAT ARE IN FAVOR.
BUT LET'S KEEP IN MIND THIS, THIS IS A EDUCATIONAL MEETING.
HOPEFULLY YOU'LL WANT TO HEAR FROM ME.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP IT FRIENDLY, THOSE THAT ARE IN FAVOR VERSUS THOSE THAT ARE OPPOSED.
BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE'S TIME.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN RUN THIS THING TILL SIX 30 WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. JUST REMEMBER IF YOU'RE MAKING A STATEMENT OR IF YOU ARE ASKING A QUESTION, BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYONE ELSE'S TIME BECAUSE IF YOU GO ON AND ON AND ON, THEN YOU'RE TAKING UP TIME FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
OKAY? I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT I, EVERYONE IN HERE WATCH THE NEWS.
YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF NEWS.
YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF NEWS HERE OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS, UH, FROM DIFFERENT, UH, NEWS STATIONS.
I KNOW CHLOE WROTE, WROTE A COUPLE ARTICLES.
I KNOW THAT TONY'S DONE THE SAME THING AND IT'S BEEN, IT WAS MORE, MORE SO RELATED TO THE JULY 8TH MEETING.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE MAKING A STATEMENT OR IF YOU'RE ASKING A QUESTION, PLEASE TRY TO KEEP IT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY,
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SOUTH CAROLINA.OKAY? NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU SAW ON THE NEWS THAT HAPPENED IN LA OR HAPPENED IN NEW YORK OR HAPPENED SOMEWHERE ELSE, EVEN IF IT HAPPENED IN JASPER COUNTY.
THAT'S SO FAR AWAY FROM MY JURISDICTION, MY JURISDICTION'S, BEAUFORT COUNTY, 923 SQUARE MILES THAT I CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT, BUT I DON'T HAVE JURISDICTION IN OTHER COUNTIES OR OTHER STATES.
SO LET'S TRY TO KEEP IT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, OKAY? AND THAT, THAT WAY WE CAN SAVE SOME TIME.
I JUST WANNA LET Y'ALL KNOW IF Y'ALL GONNA MAKE STATEMENTS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN CALIFORNIA, I PROBABLY HAVE ALREADY SEEN IT AND THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE TOO.
SO WE'RE GONNA START OUT WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW THE FEDERAL SYSTEM WORKS VERSUS THE STATE SYSTEM AND HOW WE EITHER WORK TOGETHER OR WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER AT ALL, AND WHAT JURISDICTIONS ARE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FEDERAL JURISDICTIONS RELATED TO STATE JURISDICTIONS.
DANIEL GORLEY, WHO IS OUR STAFF ATTORNEY, OUR GENERAL COUNSEL SHERIFF'S OFFICE, IS GONNA TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND JUST TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THAT WAY YOU'LL HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING ON THE FRONT END ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
SO, SHERIFF TANNER RECEIVED A LOT OF QUESTIONS LAST TIME IN OUR JULY 8TH MEETING REGARDING WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DCSO IS GONNA DO IF ICE COMES DOWN TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND HAS IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS.
AND I, I JUST WANNA BE PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT, THAT IF AND WHEN THAT WERE TO OCCUR, BCSA LEGALLY IS NOT ALLOWED TO OBSTRUCT OR INTERFERE WITH ANY FEDERAL OPERATION TAKING PLACE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE WILL BE PUT IN HANDCUFFS, JUST AS SHERIFF TANNER SAID, I WATCH THE NEWS TOO.
EVERYBODY'S SEEING THE NEWS GOING AROUND AND PEOPLE INTERFERING OR OBSTRUCTING WITH ICE OPERATIONS AND THEY'RE BEING PROSECUTED.
WE DON'T HAVE IMMUNITY TO INTERFERE WITH ANY SORT OF FEDERAL OPERATION TAKING PLACE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THAT'S, UM, FEDERAL SUPREMACY CLAUSE, ARTICLE SIX, CLAUSE TWO TO YES.
SO IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A QUESTION TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT IS B-B-C-S-O GOING TO DO WHEN ICE IF ICE WERE TO EVER COME TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND CONDUCT AN IMMIGRATION OPERATION, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
NOW, SHERIFF TANNER SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, IF INDIVIDUALS SHOW UP WHO ARE MASKED WITHOUT A NAME TAG, WE WILL ATTEMPT TO VERIFY.
WE WILL VERIFY THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF FEDERAL OPERATION GOING ON IN BUFORT COUNTY.
BUT TO THAT POINT, ONE OF THE COLLATERAL BENEFITS IF WE WERE TO SIGN UP WITH 2 87 G, IS THAT WE HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING ANY POSSIBLE IMMIGRATION OPERATIONS TAKING PLACE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE, WE'RE GONNA BE AWARE OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE WITHIN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE'LL KNOW BEFOREHAND, BEFORE ANY OPERATION BEGINS, AND TWO, WE'LL HAVE INPUT INTO THAT OPERATION.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HOW TO OPERATE SAFELY FOR ALL CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE OPERATION, THAT ICE OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY THAT'S OCCURRING HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS DONE IN THE SAFEST MANNER POSSIBLE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE AWARE OF WHAT ICE IS COMING DOWN TO DO IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE WILL BE ACTING AFTER THE FACT.
ALL RIGHT, SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR IF ANY QUESTIONS COME UP REGARDING WHAT IS BCSO GOING TO DO? WE ARE LIMITED.
UH, IF ANYONE'S TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY, I MEAN, YOU CAN GOOGLE 2 87 G AND YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET ALL THE INFORMATION, UH, THAT PERTAINS TO THE THREE PROGRAMS. YOU HAVE A JAIL PROGRAM AND YOU HAVE A WARRANTS PROGRAM, AND YOU HAVE A TASK FORCE PROGRAM.
WELL, I DON'T RUN THE JAIL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
MATTER OF FACT, THESE FOLKS SITTING UP HERE AND MICHAEL MOORE, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, THEY RUN THE JAIL.
THE JAIL'S BEEN OPERATIONAL, UH, WITH NOTIFICATIONS TO IMMIGRATION, UH, ENFORCEMENT SINCE 2012.
THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND TWO, BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012, WE HAD THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAD A 2 87 G TASK FORCE.
WE OPERATED THAT TASK FORCE FOR FOUR YEARS.
I HAD FIVE DEPUTIES THAT WERE CERTIFIED AND TRAINED BY IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, AND THE PROGRAM WORKED WELL.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT PROGRAM, THERE WAS ONLY 18 TASK FORCE IN THE COUNTRY, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAPPENED TO HAVE ONE OF THEM.
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WITH, UH, WHAT ICE WAS FANTASTIC.SO OUR OPINION MATTERED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHEN THINGS WERE PLANNED.
AND, AND I HAD A LOT OF INPUT ON WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE DONE, AND THE PROGRAM WORKED AND WAS SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK THERE WAS SOME COMPARISONS ON JULY 8TH ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY VERSUS CHARLESTON COUNTY AND, AND THOSE TYPE THINGS, THOSE ARE JAIL ISSUES.
THEY'RE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO RESPOND TO BECAUSE I'VE NEVER RUN TO JAIL.
AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, TAB DON'T PLAN TO.
UH, SO NOW THE WARRANT PROGRAM IS NOTHING BUT A PROGRAM WHERE IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WILL SEND COURT DOCUMENTS.
AND IF I HAD A DEPUTY THAT WAS A PART OF THE 2 87 G WARRANTS PROGRAM, THEN THAT DEPUTY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THOSE DOCUMENTS WERE SERVED.
THE TASK FORCE PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM LIKE WE HAD BEFORE WHERE WE, IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE, UH, AS FAR AS THE INVESTIGATIVE ARM OF, OF WHAT, WHAT WE DO IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO IF WE'RE WORKING ANY KIND OF CRIME, IF WE WORK ON A HOMICIDE OR A BURGLARY OR, UH, YOU KNOW, ARMED ROBBERY OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND WE HAVE A PERSON OF INTEREST LIKE WE DO IN ALL CASES, THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN FIND OUT THROUGH NCIC, WHICH FBI PROGRAM.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE ARE TWO OTHER PROGRAMS. IT'S CALLED IDEN AND EAGLE.
SO NCIC IS EASY BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE CERTIFIED ON, ON THE NCIC SIDE OF THE HOUSE, AND THE IDEN AND EAGLE ARE THE IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS THAT IF WE DON'T, IF WE'RE NOT A PART OF THAT PROGRAM, WE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
SO IF WE'VE GOT A SUSPECT THAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING THAT HAS COMMITTED A CRIME HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND WE START DOING BACKGROUND CHECKS AND WE START VETTING ALL OF THOSE THAT WE THINK ARE INVOLVED IN THE CASE, THEN WHAT THE EAGLE AND THE I IDENT PROGRAM DOES FOR US, IT GIVES US A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT PERSON THAT'S NOT IN NCIC.
THERE NEVER HAVE BEEN ENTERED IN THE NCIC.
THEY ARE IN A SEPARATE PROGRAM.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT TECHNOLOGY.
I AM SCHEDULING RIGHT NOW, WELL, I HAVEN'T HAD, I DON'T HAVE MY MOU YET.
I EXPECT THAT SOMETIME THIS WEEK.
AND ONCE I GET IT, THEN I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY GENERAL COUNSEL AND THEN MY GENERAL COUNSEL WILL REVIEW IT AND IF IT EVERYTHING LOOKS RIGHT OR IF I HAVE QUESTIONS, AND I'LL MAKE THOSE CONTACTS.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE SURE WE'RE WORKING OUT.
I'M ONLY LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, PROBABLY A TOTAL OF TWO.
I'M NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF DEPUTIES, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY SOUND LIKE YOU NEED A, A HALF DOZEN OR A DOZEN.
BECAUSE IT'S A TASK FORCE PROGRAM, I'M NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE.
SO RIGHT NOW I'M LOOKING AT NOT MORE THAN TWO.
SO THOSE, THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED, THEY HAVE PRIMARY JOBS EVERY DAY.
THEIR SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, AND THEIR JOB WILL BE TO WORK IN CONCERT WITH, AND THEY'LL BE SUPERVISED BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE OUT OF CHARLESTON.
SO THAT IS THE TASK FORCE MODEL THAT WE'RE SEEKING.
BUT WE KNOW THE BENEFITS FROM OH EIGHT TO 12.
THE BENEFITS ARE BETTER NOW THAN THEN BECAUSE THE TECHNOLOGY'S IMPROVED AND THE DATA BANKS AND ALL THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GET IS, IS, IS THERE.
I THINK THERE ARE, WE JUST HAD A SHERIFF'S CONFERENCE IN MYRTLE BEACH LAST WEEK, AND I THINK WE'RE SOMEWHERE IN THE MID TWENTIES WITH EITHER SHERIFF'S OFFICES OR POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK THERE'S LIKE FIVE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THE OTHERS ARE SHERIFF'S OFFICES THAT ARE, HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.
UH, UH, THE 2 87 G PROGRAM IN THEIR COUNTY IS, A LOT OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE JAIL PROGRAMS. UH, AND BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF SHERIFFS IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT STILL RUN TO JAIL SLED, THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION HAS 40 AGENTS, UH, AT SLED THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THEIR IMMIGRATION AND ENFORCEMENT UNIT.
AND THEY'RE WORKING DRUG TRAFFICKING CASES, HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASES, UH, AND, AND CASES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED.
AND THEY HAVE 40 AGENTS, 40 AGENTS, AND 46 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS NOT MUCH COVERAGE.
SO, OF COURSE, THE IMMIGRATION, UH, ENFORCEMENT UNITS THAT I TALKED TO, WERE TRYING
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TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS OF AVAILABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, UH, TO, TO HELP THEM DO WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY.BUT, AND, AND, AND, AND THE REALITY TO WHAT ALL OF IT IS IS, LIKE WE DID MANY YEARS AGO, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE WORST OF THE WORST.
UH, AND, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL OCCUPY OUR TIME.
SO THE MOU WILL BE HERE, HOPEFULLY THIS WEEK.
IT'LL GET, UH, SENT OVER, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, AND THEN WE'LL WORK FROM THERE.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR BRIEF COMMENTS ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CONCERNING BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA? IF YOU DO, IF WE COULD JUST COME UP HERE TO THE MIDDLE OR MAY I LET ME KNOW IF THIS THING STARTS GOING HAYWIRE.
I MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK, BUT I DON'T YOU STAND UP AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE MICROPHONE.
I LIVE IN THE CRESCENT, WHICH IS IN THE COUNTY AS OPPOSED TO TOWN.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE COST, UM, FROM THE COUNTY.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PUT $140 BILLION AGAINST THIS EFFORT, AND I KIND OF THINK THAT ANOTHER RED CENT IS UNNECESSARY.
WE WON'T FIGURE THIS THING OUT GUYS.
THIS MICROPHONE BEHIND YOU CHAIR.
JUST LET ME SCREAM TO THE TOP OF MY LUNGS.
YOU GOT, YOU GOT PRIMARY, SECONDARY.
YOU BAD BOYS? ALRIGHT, WHEN Y'ALL GET THAT DOOR, PRIMARY COST ZERO, NOT POLICY.
I DID, WHEN I WENT AND HAD MY BUDGET, UH, UH, THIS YEAR APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL, THERE WAS NOT A RED SENTENCE THAT BUDGET FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
I MADE NO REQUEST FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SECONDARY CALLS CAUSE OF WHAT SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
I THINK THE ER MAKE OUTTA YOUR, OUTTA YOUR POCKET, PLEASE.
SO YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ME ALL ALONG.
BUT THAT, THAT OFFICER IS DOING MULTIPLE TASKS.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT A PRIMARY PROGRAM.
SO THAT OFFICER COULD BE DOING ANY, ANY OTHER JOB DURING THE DAY AND BE DOING THIS ALSO AS PART OF HIS DUTIES OR HER DUTIES DURING THAT SAME PART OF THE DAY.
SO THE TRAINING AND ALL THE TECHNOLOGY AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE GET DOESN'T COST US ANYTHING.
THEY PROVIDE THAT TO US BECAUSE WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM AND WE'RE A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S NO COST ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE HEARING OR WHAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT.
THIS IS GONNA COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
JUST NOT, IT'S NOT TRUE AT ALL.
BUT IF THEY'RE DOING THAT, THEY'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIEW.
UH, ANYONE ELSE? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU GOT IT.
I WANNA KNOW IF YOU RECEIVE ANY FUNDING FROM THE FEDS TO UNDERWRITE THIS PROGRAM.
NO, I MEAN, IT, IT, THEY'RE, THEY, THEY TRAIN US.
THEY FUND ALL THE EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM.
BUT THERE'S NO, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GETTING, WE'RE NOT MAKING MONEY OFF OF THIS PROGRAM.
LIKE WHEN YOU HIRED YOUR SHERIFF, YOU WHATEVER MONEY IT, IT'S NOT A FULL-TIME POSITION.
SEE, THEY, THEY'RE DOING PART-TIME WORK.
SO IT, IT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT, AND LOOK, I I, JUST TO MAKE SURE I DON'T WANNA STEP ON YOUR TOE, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW THAT I'VE, I'VE GOT, UH, I'VE GOT A DEPUTY SHERIFF THAT'S A DEA AGENT.
I'VE GOT A DEPUTY SHERIFF THAT'S AN FBI AGENT, BUT THEY'RE NOT FULL-TIME.
FBI, THEY'RE NOT FULL-TIME DEA, BUT THEY HAVE JURISDICTION, LIMITED JURISDICTION AND WORKING THOSE FEDERAL CASES WORKING ALONGSIDE OF THE FBI AND THE DEA.
UH, AND THIS IS GONNA BE THE SAME THING HERE.
THEY'RE JUST, IT'S ANOTHER MOU, ANOTHER CONTRACT TO WORK ALONGSIDE, UH, IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THE VALUE, AGAIN, I'LL SAY, I'LL SAY THIS AGAIN.
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND.
I KNOW DANIEL MENTIONED IT AND I TALKED ABOUT IT LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO.
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WE DO NOT HAVE AN OPINION ON HOW ICE CONDUCTS ANY WORK IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.IF I'M NOT SITTING AT THE TABLE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE PART OF THE PROGRAM.
IF WE THREW, IF WE JUST THREW OUR HANDS UP AND, AND LOOKED AT IT LIKE MOST SANCTUARY CITIES, AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO, WHATEVER THE HELL THEY WANT TO DO, AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT SEAT AT THE TABLE.
UH, AND IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN PROBABLY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT MEETING LOOKS LIKE? WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS SAYING WHEN YOU'RE, HAVE YOU NOT HAD THE CONVERSATION YET? WOULD THIS BE A FIRST PARTICIPATING IN THAT CONVERSATION THAT YOU TALKING ABOUT? OH, AS SOON AS WE GET EVERYTHING SIGNED UP, THEN, THEN THOSE MEETING THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
YEAH, THOSE MEETING THOSE MEETINGS.
COULD YOU TELL THE PEOPLE HOW MANY DEPUTIES YOU HAVE TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE? THERE'LL 202 FOR THIS RIGHT NOW.
UH, GINA, GREG, UH, RETIRED TEACHER.
SO I HAVE NO EXPERTISE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WHAT I UNDERSTAND THOUGH, THERE'S 2 87 G AND THEN THERE'S 2 87 G TASK FORCE AND NO, THERE'S 2 87 G THREE PROGRAMS. OKAY.
YOU HAVE A JAIL, YOU HAVE A WARRANT, AND THEN YOU HAVE A TASK FORCE.
SO WITH, WITH THE TASK FORCE, IS IT TRUE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WOULD BE ABLE TO DETAIN SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT COMMITTED A CRIME? ALL THREE PROGRAMS ALLOWED UP.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF ICE.
YOU UNDERSTAND ICE HAS TWO DIFFERENT SIDES.
THEY HAVE A, WHAT THEY CALL DRO, THAT'S DETENTION AND REMOVAL.
AND THEN THEY HAVE AN INVESTIGATIVE SIDE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO.
SO DETENTION AND REMOVAL, THEY STAY BUSY ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
AND THEY MAINLY WORK WITH THE JAIL PROGRAM.
DETENTION REMOVAL IS A, IS MORE OF A JAIL PRO, UH, PART OF IT THAN IT IS, UH, ON, ON THE INVESTIGATIVE SIDE.
SO IT'S NOT A PRIME TO BE HERE ILLEGALLY? OH, YES MA'AM.
THAT, THAT IS A HURDLE A LOT OF PEOPLE NEED TO GET OVER BECAUSE THAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM UNDERSTANDING, UH, HOW THESE PROGRAMS WORK.
YOU CANNOT EXCUSE THE FACT THAT YOU CAME.
LOOK, I, I, I SPOKE TO A, A BORDER PATROL AGENT TODAY THAT SPENT MANY, MANY YEARS IN SAN DIEGO.
AND IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM, I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY YEARS, HOW MANY TOURS DID YOU HAVE IN SAN DIEGO? AND HE HAD THREE.
HE, LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LEMME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW THIS.
AND I SAID, UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK DIFFERENT QUESTIONS.
I SHARED WITH HIM THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME FROM JULY 8TH, AND IT'S ON YOUTUBE.
JUST LIKE YOU'LL WATCH THIS ONE.
WE DON'T, IF YOU DON'T DRIVE A CAR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU GOTTA HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
I'M ASSUMING ALL OF YOU IN HERE HAVE A DRIVER'S LICENSE.
AND IF YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE IS SUSPENDED OR FOR BECAUSE OF A DUI OR NOT PAYING YOUR TAXES, OR IT JUST EXPIRED, YOU DON'T HAVE ONE.
AND YOU GO OUT HERE AND OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE, YOU'RE GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DOING THAT.
HIS EXAMPLE THAT HE GAVE ON THE BORDER IS QUITE COMPELLING BECAUSE AS A BORDER PATROL AGENT, ONE OF HIS JOBS WERE TO GREET THOSE THAT WERE COMING INTO COUNTRY AND TO DETERMINE ALL THE NECESSARY INFORMATION, VETTING THE VETTING, PROCESS, BACKGROUND, ALL OF THAT STUFF.
AND HERE'S THE EXAMPLE I WANT TO GIVE.
HE SAID THAT, UH, THERE WERE HUNDREDS, HUNDREDS OF IMMIGRANTS COMING IN TO THE BORDER, STANDING FOR HOURS ON IN END, DOING THEIR PAPERWORK AS REQUIRED UNDER THE LAW.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHERS THAT COME TO THIS COUNTRY A DIFFERENT WAY, EITHER WITH COYOTE OR THEY COME WITH A VISA, AND THEY OVERSTATE A VISA.
AND WHEN THE VISA EXPIRES, THEY JUST DECIDE THEY'RE NOT LEAVING.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE DEALT WITH, I'M ASSUMING, INDEPENDENTLY.
BUT THE REALITY IS THIS, DO NOT EXCUSE THE FACT THAT ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES IS A FEDERAL CRIME.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET BEYOND THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, AND
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DISCUSS.LOOK, THE WHOLE PART OF THIS NOW, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TALK POLITICS 'CAUSE POLITICS IS NOT WHY WE'RE HERE.
OKAY? IT'S, BUT HOMELAND SECURITY IS THE REASON THIS PROGRAM IS SUCCESSFUL FOR US.
WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT ONE COUNTRY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MULTIPLE COUNTRIES.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND THE, THE, THE INFLUX OF MULTIPLE COUNTRIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA IS PRESENT HERE TODAY.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY THAT HAVE GONE UNVETTED.
WE, NOTHING, NOTHING ABOUT THEIR BACKGROUNDS.
WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEIR CRIMINAL HISTORY.
DANIEL HAS LOOKED UP SOME OF THAT INFORMATION AND WE KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE EITHER IN OUR JAIL OR HAVE BEEN CRIMINALLY CHARGED.
UH, AND, AND, AND THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT FOR OUR SAFETY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I MEAN, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND IN CONCERT WITH IMMIGRATION, NOT ONLY WITH IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT, BUT THE FBI AND D-E-A-A-T-F AND THE MARSHAL SERVICE.
I MEAN, THOSE THINGS, THOSE THINGS WE DO EVERY DAY.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY SPECIFIC SUBSET OF IMMIGRANTS.
BUT RIGHT NOW THERE IS ALL SORTS OF ISSUES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITH PEOPLE LOSING IMMIGRATION STATUS.
SO THOSE FOLKS WHO CAME HERE UNDER TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS, TPS, THAT IS A PROGRAM FOR VENEZUELANS, ROAN CUBAN, THEY CAME HERE, THEY WERE VETTED, AND THEY HAVE LOST THEIR STATUS, AND THEY WILL BE ISSUED DEPORTATION ORDERS, OR THEY HAVE BEEN, AND THEN THEY GET RESCINDED OR THEY HAVE BEEN AND GET RESCINDED.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, IN THE MELEE OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS GOING IN AND OUT, IN AND OUT, BECAUSE VENEZUELANS HAVE LOST THEIR TPS AND GOT VETTED TWICE THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTY WITH THE IMMIGRATION STATUS THAT THEY DID GET VETTED FOR IS LOST.
ARE YOUR AGENTS THEN GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN FINDING THOSE PEOPLE AND TAKING THEM AWAY AS THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN VETTED, LIKE YOU SAID? I MEAN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT BECAUSE ONE, I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO, YOU'RE GONNA, LET ME GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO FINISH YOUR COMMENT.
I SAID, I THINK YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.
WELL, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT NEIGHBORS FROM COUNTRIES THAT ARE ALL UNDER TPS YEAH.
THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY AND GOTTEN BACK AND TAKEN AWAY.
AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO GET THAT CAR THEY GOT BENTED FOR AND THEY LOSE THEIR STATUS? WELL, I MEAN'S GONNA GO OUT.
WHAT I'M TELLING YOU THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THE PROBLEM IS, I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN ANSWER ON IT.
I'M NOT A PART OF THE PROGRAM YET.
WE HAVEN'T SIGNED A CONTRACT AND WE'RE NOT IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE AGENTS TRAINED OR ANYTHING, THE DEPUTY TRAINED OR ANYTHING.
THE INFORMATION WILL BE FORTHCOMING.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WOULD LOSE, UH, THEIR STATUS.
I DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO AS, AS WE PROGRESS DOWN THE ROAD, CALL ME AND REMIND ME AGAIN AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE ANSWER.
BUT I JUST, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE NOT A PART OF THE PROGRAM YET.
MY NAME IS SEBASTIAN HERNANDEZ.
I'M AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY HERE IN BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, SHERIFF, UH, BEFORE I ASK MY QUESTION, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOUR ANALOGY WITH SAN DIEGO.
IF WE FOLLOW THAT SAME ANALOGY OF THE PEOPLE WAITING, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE, I FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW, THAT ISIS ISSUED MEMOS, TREATING EVERY IMMIGRANT IS A PRIORITY FOR REMOVAL.
THAT MEANS THE PEOPLE THAT CAME IN WITHOUT INSPECTION.
AND THAT MEANS ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WAITED IN LINE THAT WOULD BE WITHIN YOUR COUNTY, WOULD BE TREATED WITH PRIORITY FOR REMOVAL.
WELL, LET ME, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT ICE, ICE MEMOS, ICE HAS ISSUED THE MEMOS TO PUBLIC PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
UM, BUT NOW FOR MY QUESTION, UH, DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT USE THE LAW, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITIES LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT CENTER? I MEAN, IT DEPENDS ON WHY.
WELL, THE REASON WHY I ASKED THAT IS BECAUSE YOU STATED THAT THE REASON FOR THIS, OR AT LEAST ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS FOR THIS, IS TO GET ACCESS TO INFORMATION I IDENT TO GET ACCESS TO.
UH, TO GET ACCESS TO IENT, TO GET ACCESS TO NCIC, UH, TO GET ACCESS TO THE EAGLE SYSTEM, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITIES LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT CENTER IS A REAL TIME, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK SERVICE THAT IT WAS CREATED TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN GATHERING ALL THE INFORMATION ALREADY PROVIDED BY IDEN AND EAGLE.
AND YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE 2 87 G IN ORDER TO ACCESS THAT INFO.
SO I BRING IT UP BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU
[00:30:01]
WANTED TO DO THIS BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T GET ACCESS TO THAT INFO, BUT YOU DO HAVE THE ACCESS TO IT.DID YOU HAVE, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? QUESTION I, I AM NOT SURE WE'RE GONNA ANSWER.
HE DIDN'T ASK A QUESTION HERE, HERE.
THERE'S NO QUE IF YOU GONNA MAKE A STATEMENT, MAKE A STATEMENT.
BUT THE, THE PART OF THE 2 87 G TASK FORCE FOR US IS TO HAVE TWO DEPUTIES THAT ARE CERTIFIED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS.
AND THERE'S NO FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
IT, THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE DOING THE PROGRAM.
AND A PART OF THOSE OFFICERS BEING TRAINED AS IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENTS, NOT ONLY GIVES THEM THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED TO ASSIST.
LOOK, I WANT DEPUTY SHERIFFS THAT ARE A PART OF THE PROGRAM.
I WANT 'EM TO COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THEIR FUNCTION, THEIR LAWFUL FUNCTION IN THAT PROGRAM.
I DON'T HAVE ANY DEPUTY SHERIFFS AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW.
BUT THE PROGRAM GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO BE A PART OF THE PROGRAM, TO UNDERSTAND IT AND PROPERLY ENFORCE IT, IF IN FACT THAT'S THE PROCESS WE TAKE.
BUT IT ALSO GIVES US THE ABILITY NOT, NOT TO, I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO CALL SOMEONE AND THEN MAYBE I'LL GET A RESPONSE, THEN MAYBE I WON'T.
MAYBE I'LL NEED TO CALL THE CHARLESTON OFFICE.
MAYBE I'LL NEED TO CALL ANOTHER OFFICE, GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION I NEED.
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST LIKE A DNA LAB OR, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, OR ANY OTHER THING THAT WE DO.
WE NEED TO DO THINGS IN REAL TIME.
GIVEN THOSE A GIVEN THOSE DEPUTIES THE ABILITY TO RESEARCH THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO RESEARCH IN REAL TIME IS IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAY I, I, I, THE QUESTION REGARDING, I'M THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THAT ARE USING THAT PROGRAM.
I'M SURE THERE IS, AND I'M SURE IT'S A BENEFIT TO 'EM.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? BECAUSE HE DID ASK THE QUESTION.
CAN REPEAT THE QUESTION? YEAH.
SO MY QUESTION REGARDING LESC IS, WHY CAN'T YOU HAVE THOSE TWO OFFICERS TASKED WITH COMMUNICATING WITH LESC TO GET REAL TIME? WELL, I MEAN, COMMUNICATION MEAN, THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT TOO.
THEY'LL BE TRAINED, CERTIFIED AT IMMIGRATION OFFICERS.
LOOK, IT QUITE LITERALLY SAYS REAL TIME COMMUNICATION AND YOU JUST STATED THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
SO I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE A SITUATION WHERE YOU GET WHAT YOU WANT AND IT DOESN'T COME AT THE EXPENSE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNED ABOUT.
IT WOULD BE A WIN-WIN FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
YOU WANNA PASS TO MIKE? GOOD EVENING.
I'M SHERIFF AND COUNTY COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TODAY AS A RESIDENT OF BUFORT COUNTY.
AS A TAXPAYER AND AS A BUSINESSWOMAN, BOTH HERE IN BUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY.
I HEAR ALL, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU GUYS EXPLAINED IN REGARDS TO THIS, UM, 2 87 G.
BUT HOW IS SEATING IN, HOW IS HAVING A SEAT GOING TO HELP ME? I WILL NOT BE TOLD, HEY, CLAUDIA ICE IS GOING TO HAVE A OPERATIONS IN YOUR HOME.
WE'RE WE'LL BE THERE JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S RUNNING OKAY.
YOU GUYS JUST SAID YOU CAN'T INTERFERE.
SO THERE'S, THAT REALLY DOES NOT HELP US.
UM, WHAT HELPS US IS HAVE YOU, HAS EVERYONE SAT DOWN AND SEEN HOW THIS WILL AFFECT US, OUR ECONOMY? AND AS A TAX ACCOUNTANT, I'M GONNA SAY THAT I HAVE TAXPAYERS WHO DON'T HAVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND THEY PAY A FAIR LARGE AMOUNT OF TAXES INTO SOUTH CAROLINA.
NOT INCLUDING THOSE RESIDENTS WHO'VE BOUGHT HOMES IN THIS COUNTY AND PAY AUTOMATIC 6% TAXES ON THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL SECURITY.
THAT IS, AND HOW, AND, AND YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF, HOW WILL THAT AFFECT US? WELL, GUESS WHAT? THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FEAR, RIGHT? PEOPLE ARE GONNA START MOVING OUT.
OKAY, OUR HOMES ARE BEING BUILT, GUESS BY WHOM? IMMIGRANTS, HOW DO I KNOW THAT I'M IN THAT INDUSTRY AS WELL? AND I HAVE A PICTURE RIGHT HERE OF IMMIGRANTS REPAIRING BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND I FOUND THAT VERY, YOU KNOW, I, I, I WAS, I WAS, I KNOW THAT HAPPENS, BUT I WAS JUST LIKE, WOW.
BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER.
YES, IT'S ILLEGAL TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT'S A CRIME ACCORDING TO THE, THE FEDERAL LAW.
HOWEVER, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOWING A LAWNS.
THINK TO THEM, WHEN WE SIT DOWN IN A RESTAURANT, OKAY, WE CAN HAVE FOOD ON TIME.
AND, AND COMING FROM, FROM A BUSINESSWOMAN, I CAN TELL YOU, THE WORKFORCE IS REALLY, HAS BEEN REALLY HORRIBLE.
SO TODAY'S HEAT, A LOT OF THESE IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE OUT THERE DOING OUR ROOFS, BUILDING OUR HOMES, DOING ALL THAT, WE ARE GONNA FORCE
[00:35:01]
THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF HERE WHO ARE GONNA BUILD OUR HOMES, WHO IS GONNA MOW OUR LOANS, WHO ARE GONNA CLEAN OUR HOTELS.SO I JUST ASK COUNTY COUNCIL TO PLEASE ANALYZE THAT, ANALYZE THE ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY AND EVERYONE, ALL, EVERYONE HERE WHO IS INVOLVED TO ANALYZE THAT PART OF IT.
LEMME SPEAK, LET ME SPEAK TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL PART, AS WAS STATED IN THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS WITH THE SHERIFF'S PURVIEW COUNTY COUNCIL SIMPLY APPROVES THE BUDGET.
WE DON'T TELL THE SHERIFF WHAT TO DO.
WE DON'T ANALYZE, WE DON'T GOVERN HOW HE SPENDS HIS MONEY.
SO YOUR QUESTIONS ARE DIRECTED TO THE SHERIFF, NOT COUNTY COUNCIL.
HE'S A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER.
TAKE THAT ONE OUT OF THE I UNDERSTAND THAT PART, AND I APOLOGIZE IF, IF I, I ADDRESSED YOU, BUT HOWEVER, COUNTY COUNCIL ALSO DOES OUR LAWS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A TAXPAYER, YOU KNOW, I AM CONCERNED THAT OUR, MY TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TOWARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
WHO ON YOUR PAGE AS WELL, ON YOUR BOOKING PAGE, IF I GO THROUGH THAT, I MEAN, YES, THERE WERE SOME ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ON ICE HOLD FOR DUI AND HEY, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR, THEIR SHARE.
HOWEVER, A MAJORITY OF THEM, MAJORITY OF DETAINEES WERE NOT IMMIGRANTS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHY ARE WE GOING AFTER THESE IMMIGRANTS AND NOT AFTER THE TRUE CRIMINALS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, STEALING FROM OUR COMMUNITY, BREAKING INTO OUR HOMES, INTO OUR CARS, INTO OUR BUSINESSES.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO GO AFTER.
AND, AND WE DO THAT EVERY DAY.
BUT NOW WE'RE, WE ARE, I FEEL THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON SOMETHING ELSE.
AND NO, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF CASES THAT I LOOKED UP THAT ARE STILL UNSOLVED.
YEAH, THERE'S A LOT OF CASES UNSOLVED.
OKAY, SO WHY NOT CONCENTRATE ON THOSE CASES? OH, WE ARE EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T TRY TO MAKE IT SOUND OKAY.
YOU BRING UP THE ECONOMY, YOU BRING UP ALL THESE OTHER THINGS ABOUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND RESTAURANT SERVICE AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
YOU, YOU'RE TAKING AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO MAKE IT APPEAR LIKE THERE'S SOME CONVENIENCE TO ALL OF THIS.
BUT IN REALITY, I'M A SHERIFF, MY JOB IS LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO I GO ABOUT MY DAY LOOKING, UH, FOR TOOLS FOR MY TOOLBOX TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAN MAKE BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS I POSSIBLY CAN.
IF I FIND A TOOL THAT BENEFITS PUBLIC SAFETY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, I LOOK INTO IT, I INVEST MY TIME.
AND IF IT'S WORTHY AS IF IT'S A WORTHY TOOL FOR THIS COUNTY, THEN I INVEST IN THAT.
MY INVESTMENT IN THIS PROGRAM IS, I'LL TELL YOU AGAIN, 2 87 G TASK FORCE WILL BE A PART OF BEAUFORT COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT, PROBABLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PARTNERSHIP.
AND I'M ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE.
NOT ONLY WOULD THE GREAT STAFF DO WE HAVE AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND EMPATHY, WE'RE NOT TAKING EMPATHY OUTTA THE EQUATION, BUT DON'T GIVE GOOD EXCUSES FOR BAD THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.
YOU CAN'T, NOW LET ME, THE SAME THING, AND I'LL ASK THE IMMIGRATION LAWYER, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AN IMMIGRATION LAWYER, HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU RECOMMENDED? YOU GAVE ME PLENTY OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
BUT HOW MANY UNLAWFUL IMMIGRANTS HAVE YOU RECOMMENDED TO, TO SELF DEPORT? GO BACK TO WHATEVER COUNTRY THEY CAME FROM.
AND I'M NOT PICKING ON ANY PARTICULAR COUNTRY, DO THE RIGHT THING AND RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU DONE THAT TO? I MEAN, I'M, AND I'M, AND I'M BEING SERIOUS.
HOW MANY IS IT, IS A WEEKLY THING, A DAILY THING? DO YOU CHARGE A FEE? I MEAN, HOW IS THIS WORKING? YEAH, SO IMMIGRATION'S VERY COMPLEX.
UM, AND FOR, FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE.
FOR, FOR A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT MAY BE IN THIS COUNTRY, YOU'D BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE ILLEGALLY FOR 20 YEARS GET THEIR GREEN CARDS.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE OVER TIME THEY QUALIFY FOR DIFFERENT BENEFITS.
RIGHT? THE ISSUE IS THAT WHEN ICE GETS INVOLVED, THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE A PROCESS.
THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU ALREADY PAID YOUR FEES.
THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET YOUR GREEN CARD.
IF YOU HAVE US CITIZEN CHILDREN, AS I STATED AT THE BEGINNING OF MY QUESTION INITIALLY, EVERYBODY'S BEING TREATED AS A, AS A PRIORITY.
AND WHENEVER YOU START USING THIS PROGRAM, IT BECOMES VERY, YOU START TRAINING A VERY FINE LINE.
BECAUSE THE MOMENT ICE MAKES CONTACT WITH PEOPLE, THEY'RE GONNA TREAT THEM ALL THE SAME WHETHER THEY HAVE CRIMINAL HISTORY OR NOT.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SUCH A CONCERN TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHY I KEPT REFERENCING LESC.
[00:40:01]
CAN ACHIEVE THIS WITHOUT ICE HAVING TO GET INVOLVED.YOU CAN GET THE COMMUNITY SAFE AND GET THOSE TOOLS IN YOUR TOOLBOX WITHOUT NEEDING TO ACTUALLY SIGN AN AGREEMENT.
YOU KNOW, I'M HOPING, I AM HOPING THAT A PART OF THIS BEING CONNECTED TO 2 87 G ENCOURAGES THOSE.
YOU CAN'T EXCUSE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE ILLEGALLY.
YOU'VE GOTTA DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE.
AND I'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS, NOT ONLY LIKE JULY 8TH IN THE DAY, I'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS AT A LOT OF CHURCHES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, AND THE REALITY TO THIS IS ALL IF, IF YOU HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT IMMIGRATION AND BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, THEN VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND HELP SOMEONE THAT YOU KNOW THAT'S HERE ILLEGALLY.
DO THE RIGHT THING, GET THE PAPERWORK DONE IF THEY NEED TO.
WE'RE NOT DISRUPTING FAMILIES BY DOING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YOU'RE DISRUPTING YOUR OWN FAMILY BY BEING HERE ILLEGALLY AND NOT DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE.
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT HAS TO GET INVOLVED.
AND THAT, I MEAN, AND, AND, AND HONESTLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S REALITY.
BUT, AND, AND I APPRECIATE IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'RE HELPING PEOPLE, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
WAS THERE A QUESTION OVER HERE, OR THREE? SEVERAL.
SO I'D JUST LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON A COMMENT THAT YOU GAVE TO WTOC NEWSPAPER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND IN THIS, IN REGARDS TO, I MEAN, THE SAFETY FOR YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THAT'S YOUR PRIORITY, RIGHT, SIR? MM-HMM
RIGHT? SO YOU, I MEAN, YOU STOOD IN FRONT OF A CAMERA AND YOU SAID, I DON'T CARE HOW THEY DO IT OR HOW IT'S DONE, MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT MY TOOLBOX IS FULL OF EVERYTHING I NEED TO MAKE THIS COUNTY SAFE.
DOES THAT YOU REMEMBER THAT? YOU REMEMBER SAYING THAT? I MEAN, I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK ALRIGHT, BUT IT SOUNDS, SOUNDS CLOSE.
WELL, I GOT IT RIGHT DOWN RIGHT HERE.
SO LET'S SAY, UH, IF SAFETY, I, I THINK I SOUNDED BETTER THAN THAT, BUT GO AHEAD.
I A LITTLE BRUSH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW LITTLE ME.
OH, WELL THANKS FOR CUTTING ME OFF.
BUT ANYWAY, SO IF, YOU KNOW, SAFETY REALLY IS YOUR PRIORITY, SIR.
I MEAN, LET'S JUST SAY A, A PARENT, A PARENT'S AT AN IMMIGRATION APPOINTMENT, THEY HAVE THEIR GREEN CARD.
OKAY? LET'S SAY AN ICE OFFICER WHO RACIALLY PROFILES HER, SHE GETS PICKED UP AND TAKEN FROM HER CHILDREN.
DO YOU CARE ABOUT THAT? LET'S SAY IF MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY, THEY'RE SENT TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES, THEY HAVE ZERO CONNECTION TO.
DO YOU CARE ABOUT THAT, SIR? AND WHAT ABOUT IF YOUR NEIGHBORS, THEY WERE SENT TO DETENTION FACILITIES, 70 PRISONERS TO A CELL SURROUNDED BY ALLIGATORS, FORCED TO KNEEL AND EAT LIKE AN ANIMAL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE LAUGHING, LOOK IT UP.
AND FOR YOU TO SAY THAT WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT POLITICS, SIR, IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING THE STATE OF OUR COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE, I HAVE A TWO PART QUESTION.
UM, WHAT WAS THE REASONING FOR ENDING THE USE OF 2 87 G PREVIOUSLY DURING THAT 2008 AND 12 PERIOD? WHY DID YOU STOP USING IT? WELL, IT STOPPED BECAUSE, UH, PRESIDENT OBAMA AND VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ENDED ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. THE 18 TASK FORCE IN THE COUNTRY WERE ENDED BY THAT ADMINISTRATION.
SO CAN I ASK, WHAT AVENUE IS IN PLACE TO END THE USE? SHOULD IT BE DETERMINED THAT IT'S A POOR USE OF TAX DOLLARS AND INEFFECTIVE FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF THIS COUNTY? I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T.
WHAT AVENUE IS IN PLACE FOR YOU TO END THE USE OF 2 87 G NOW IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, THAT'S THE EASIEST WAY TO SAY IT.
30 30 DAY NOTICE AND THE CONTRACT ENDS.
IS THAT RIGHT, DANIEL? YES, SIR.
I LIVE IN ROSE HILL AND, UH, I'VE KNOWN PJ WHEN HE HAD MORE HERE THAN I DID
YOU CAN, YOU'VE BEEN SHERIFF SINCE, SINCE I GOT HERE.
I THINK THE POINT, WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IN WHAT ICE IS DOING OR NATIONAL LEVELS DOESN'T MATTER.
WHAT MATTERS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AND WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL AND WHAT YOU CAN'T, THE DEPARTMENT BEING PART OF THAT 2 87 G PROGRAM GIVES SOME CONTROL HERE.
OTHERWISE YOU GOT NO CONTROL HERE.
ICE CAN COME DOWN AND DO WHAT THEY WANT.
YOU CAN SAY, WELL, WE HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS, WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO, IS THINKING AND PLANS.
[00:45:01]
AGENCIES HAVE THINKING AND PLANS.YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT UNLESS YOU'RE PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A CASE, I DON'T BELIEVE KNOWING PG AS LONG AS I HAVE, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A CASE OF WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GONNA INVITE A WHOLE BUNCH OF VICE PEOPLE ON HERE INDISCRIMINATELY TO DO THINGS.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY THIS DEPARTMENT HAS EVER OPERATED.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? AND I THINK THE OTHER PART THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS HE AND I JUST TALKED THREE MINUTES AGO TO QUESTION PARDON? ALLOWED TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
YOU'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
HE AND I TALKED A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, THREE EASTERN EUROPEANS WERE ARRESTED.
OKAY? AND EVERY ONE OF 'EM, THEY WERE UP TO SOMETHING.
EVERY ONE OF 'EM HAD THREE OR FOUR IDS, OKAY? SEPARATE IDENTITIES, TALK TO ICE, TURN LOOSE.
THEY WOULDN'T EVEN PICK 'EM UP UNDER THIS PROGRAM.
AND THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES DOWN HERE.
YOU, I LIKE YOU TO COMMENT ON THAT.
THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES DOWN HERE.
HE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK INTO THAT FURTHER HIMSELF BECAUSE BELIEVE ME, I, I KNOW WE ALL SAY IT'S TARGETED AND THAT MAY BE, BUT WE HAVE OTHER PROBLEMS HERE THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT'LL GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
ASK QUICK QUESTION THOUGH, IS TO HELP IDENTIFY SOME OF THE OTHER COUNTRIES THAT ARE REPRESENTED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THAT REPRESENTATION IS QUITE LARGE.
RUSSIA, CHINA, IRAN, AND I CAN JUST KEEP ON GOING DOWN.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT ONE COUNTRY IS ABOUT ALL THE COUNTRIES.
AND IN ORDER FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS PROGRAM, THE 2 87 G GIVES US THE TOOL TO DO IT.
I WANT TO CONTRAST YOUR EARLIER STATEMENT ABOUT YOUR BEING AT THE TABLE WITH THE DETAILS OF THE INTERVIEW THAT YOU MADE TO CHARLESTON'S, UH, POSTED COURIER.
THAT WAS VERY, VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU SAID, AND I REMEMBER IT WELL 'CAUSE IT INVOLVED OUR, OUR STORES RIGHT HERE IN BUFORT COUNTY.
YOU SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO WALMART OR TO SAM'S CLUB OR TO PUBLIX AND CHECK PEOPLE'S IDS.
WELL, I'VE GOTTA BE FRANK WITH YOU, SHERIFF, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF CONTROL THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE GIVING INPUT INTO WHAT YOU WILL AND YOU WON'T DO.
I GUESS WHEN I READ THAT, I THOUGHT, WAIT A MINUTE, HE'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, HE'S GONNA SAY, YES SIR.
BECAUSE WHEN I SAYS DO IT, YOU'LL DO IT.
I KNOW IN OH EIGHT TO OH 12, WE DIDN'T GO TO WALMART.
WE DIDN'T GO OUT AND DO ANY KIND OF MASS INSPECTION AND ID CHECKS, WE DIDN'T DO IT THEN.
WE'RE NOT DOING IT NOW IF THEY DON'T LIKE THE WAY WE OPERATE, THEN AGAIN, THE MOA OR MOU, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CON, UH, CALL IT, IT'S COMING THIS WEEK.
WE WILL LOOK AT IT, WE'LL ANALYZE IT, UH, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE.
BUT STOPPING THE PROGRAM IS A 30 DAY NOTICE.
AND LOOK, THERE'S NO MONEY ATTACHED TO THIS PROGRAM.
THERE'S NO FUNDING COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NO FUNDING COMING FROM BUFORT COUNTY TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WHO, WHO HAS A QUESTION? I THINK WE BOTH OKAY.
I WANNA ASK MY QUESTION IS, IF YOU, IF YOU JOIN THIS THING AND SOME AND YOU PICK SOMEBODY UP, DOES IT GIVE YOU ACCESS TO GO NATIONWIDE TO TO SCREEN THIS GUY TO FIND OUT ABSOLUTELY WHERE HE IS BEEN AND WHY AREN'T WE DOING IT? WELL, THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
I WANTED TO ASK WHAT MEASURES YOU'LL PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT RACIAL PROFILING DOES NOT OCCUR WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT.
WE DO NOT ALLOW ANY KIND OF RACIAL PROFILING.
I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE 26 AND A HALF YEARS.
IT'S A NON-ISSUE, NOT DOING IT.
OUR POLICIES ARE IN PLACE, WE'RE NATIONALLY ACCREDITED.
IT'S NOT ALLOWED, IT'S NOT ALLOWED IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT ALL.
SO THE TWO OFFICERS THAT WILL BE PART OF THE ICE DEPARTMENT, WHAT, WHAT WILL YOU TELL THEM? WHAT MEASURES WILL YOU HAVE THEM EMBRACE IF, IF BUFORT COUNTY DOESN'T PERMIT RACIAL PROFILING? NOW, NOW CAN WE COUNT ON THOSE TWO OFFICERS TO NOT RACIAL PROFILE? WELL, THE REALITY TO IT, IF THEY VIOLATE MY POLICIES, THEY WON'T WORK AT BUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO THAT, THAT GOES FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT I HAVE.
THAT'S THE WRITTEN LAW OF BUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
CJ, UH, I'M FROM SUN CITY AND I
[00:50:01]
HAVE THREE FRIENDS.ONE CAME FROM SPAIN, THE OTHER TWO CAME FROM AFRICA, AND THEY WAITED SIX YEARS AND EACH OF 'EM PAID 5,000 POUNDS.
NOW, HOW DO YOU THINK THEY FEEL? THESE PEOPLE COME ACROSS THE BORDER? I MEAN, I HEAR THAT EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, I TALK TO PEOPLE EVERY DAY THAT MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY.
AND IT TOOK SOME TIME, IT TOOK SOME MONEY.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFFENDED AS WELL THAT, UH, THAT THAT, AND THE, THE OFFENSE THERE IS THAT THERE ARE US CITIZENS THAT WANT TO GIVE THEM A PASS ON COMING TO THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY.
BUT YET ALL THE LEGAL IMMIGRANTS THAT CAME HERE AND WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS DID IT THE RIGHT WAY.
AND YOU, AND HERE'S THE THING, THEY DID IT THE RIGHT, RIGHT WAY.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM THAT EVERYONE THAT'S IN THIS COUNTRY ILLEGALLY CAN DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
THEY JUST NEED TO START AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THEY GOTTA START SOMEWHERE.
WHAT, WHAT TIME IS IT? WHAT MINUTES? NINE MINUTES.
SHERIFF JANNER, I, UH, HAVE A QUESTION, I HOPE I CAN PHRASE THIS THE RIGHT WAY.
WE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THE COSTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM A SEAT AT THE TABLE AND THE TWO EXTRA OFFICERS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS OR CAN YOU GIVE THE BEST ESTIMATE ON WHAT THE ILLEGAL CRIME COSTS THE COUNTY CURRENTLY? YES.
OR WHAT IT COSTS TO JAIL OR HOUSE THEM CURRENTLY.
AND THE QUESTION IS, WOULD THE REDUCTION IN ILLEGAL CRIME BE OFFSET, OFFSET THE COST OF THE TWO OFFICERS? WELL, IF I, AGAIN, IF I RAN TO JAIL, I MEAN, I CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU, BUT IF I RAN TO JAIL, I WOULD HAVE A A, A CLEARER ANSWER ON THAT.
BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT ANSWER IS 'CAUSE I DON'T RUN TO JAIL.
THIS, THIS IS ALSO SOMEWHAT ON THE JAIL SIDE, BUT THE TENSION PRIORITY, HYPOTHETICALLY YOUR OFFICER, UM, PRO ARRESTS, THE DUI, THAT PERSON IS UNDOCUMENTED.
WHERE ARE THEY DETAINED? WHO TAKES THE PRIORITY? IS IT A CASELOAD ON THE 14TH DISTRICT OR DOES THAT GO TO, DOES THAT PERSON GO TO ICEBERGS? IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE ARRESTED BY A DEPUTY OR CITY POLICE OFFICER OR HIGHWAY PATROLMAN, UH, OR A A A, YOU KNOW, A, A SECURITY OFFICER IN THE GATED COMMUNITY, THEY GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY JAIL AND THEN JAIL RUNS A CHECK ON 'EM.
IF THEY'RE NOT IN NCIC, THEY NOTIFY ICE ICE RUNS A CHECK ON 'EM.
IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE HERE ILLEGALLY, ICE SENDS A, YOU YOU WROTE A GREAT ARTICLE.
DID Y'ALL READ DIAL AND PACKET ARTICLE? YES.
ALRIGHT, WELL DID Y'ALL JUST GO BACK AND READ THAT DEAR CHANCE, SHERIFF, SHERIFF, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
THIS, THIS LADY'S ARM'S GOING TO SLEEP.
UM, I UNDERSTAND FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT THERE IS A QUOTA THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MEET.
THAT BEING SAID, WHERE DO YOU SIT WITH THAT? WELL, SINCE YOU'RE GONNA BE PART OF THAT PROGRAM, ARE YOU NOT GOING TO BE REQUIRED ALSO TO GET A HEAD COUNT HERE? I'LL TELL YOU AGAIN, I DON'T WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A QUOTA PROGRAM.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I'M A FORMER CO-CHAIR OF THE LOW COUNTRY IMMIGRATION COALITION.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, BUT FIRST I'D LIKE TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT.
TANNER, DID YOU ALL COME HERE, YOUR ANCESTORS OVER THE YEARS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES? I'M ASSUMING SO.
YOU'RE ASSUMING SO THAT'S, THAT'S LONG BEFORE I WAS BORN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S THRILLING THAT THE IDEA THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME HERE, LAND IN NEW YORK CITY, UH, THEY SEE THE, UH, TORCH FROM THE, THE LADY LIBERTY AND THEY SAY, I WANT JUST TO HAVE ANOTHER LIFE.
I WANNA HAVE AN AMERICAN DREAM.
WELL, APPARENTLY THE TANNERS ACHIEVED THAT DREAM OVER THE YEARS.
YOU HAVE A QUESTION AND, AND, AND IN FACT YOU HAVE A SHERIFFS HERE FOR THIS LOW COUNTRY FOR 26 YEARS.
SO IMMIGRANTS CAN BE VERY, VERY GOOD.
WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS, REMEMBER THAT.
UNLESS THERE IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
SO IN THAT CONTEXT, YOU WANT ARM WRESTLING FOR TONIGHT? DOES THAT MAKE YOU ANY MORE SYMPATHETIC TO GETTING RID OF 2 70, 87 G.
MY ARM IS ALSO GOING BE 20 MINUTES BACK THERE.
UM, SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, FIRST OF ALL, LEMME TELL YOU THAT IN 2020, THE CATO
[00:55:01]
INSTITUTE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE THINK TANKS, FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO MEASURABLE IMPACT ON PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN ENGAGING 2 87 G AGREEMENTS.SO YOU, YOU WERE SHERIFF BACK WHEN 2 87 G WAS ENACT RIGHT HERE IN BUFORT.
CAN YOU TELL US THE ACTUAL NUMBERS OF HOW 2 87 G MEASURE MEASURABLY IMPACTED PUBLIC SAFETY HERE IN BUFORT COUNTY AND WHAT DID THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE? CAN YOU GIVE US THOSE NUMBERS? I, I DIDN'T, I DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS TO GIVE YOU.
I THINK YOU SHOULD IF YOU WERE ALREADY PART OF THAT GROUP.
NO, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT NUMBERS, I MEAN, DANIEL'S GOT SOME NUMBERS.
AND HE'S MORE THAN GLAD TO SHARE.
AND THAT WAS BASED ON THINK THE C COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE THEM BASED ON, I MEAN, I'LL GIVE THE NUMBERS TO THE MEDIA AND THEN Y'ALL CAN PUBLICIZE THOSE NUMBERS.
BUT, UH, I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND PULL THOSE NUMBERS UP.
YEAH, JUST PASS IT OVER THERE.
WE GOT, WE GOT FOUR MINUTES, SEVEN MINUTES.
TE UM, WE FOLLOWING UP KIND OF ON DUAL STATE'S QUESTION IN THE, UM, AS FAR AS THE NUMBERS GO, WHEN BEAUFORT COUNTY PARTICIPATED IN 2 8 7 G TWO IN 2008 AND 2012, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IT DID MAKE THE COMMUNITY SAFER AS DURING THOSE TIMES? I, I, I I KNOW IT MADE THE COMMUNITY SAFER.
I'M NOT ARGUING THAT I, I DON'T ARGUE WITH ANYTHING THAT THE POLICE DOES.
I WANT YOU GUYS TO FIGHT CRIME AND KEEP US SAFE.
RIGHT? THE, YOUR OFFICE PUBLISHES AN N-I-B-R-S REPORT, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL INCIDENT BASED REPORTING SYSTEM EVERY YEAR.
AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE, UNFORTUNATELY ANYTHING ABOUT 2 87 G RACE, IMMIGRATION STATUS, OR ANY OF THOSE STATISTICS THAT WOULD KIND OF HELP US GAUGE THE TRANSPARENCY IF THERE IS RACIAL PROFILING GOING ON.
UM, SO YOU TALKING ABOUT IF THERE'S RACIAL PROFILING GOING ON IN BEAUFORT COUNTY CORRECT.
LIKE IF THERE'S A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF HISPANICS VERSUS BLACKS VERSUS ASIAN BEING ARRESTED VERSUS WHITES OR ET CETERA.
IT'S NOT HAPPENING IN THAT SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
I CAN'T SPEAK FOR OTHER RIGHT.
I JUST, THE ONLY THING I HAVE IS NUMBERS.
SO I HAVE PRINTED ALL THE, THE NUMBERS FROM THE COUNTY REPORTS.
UM, ESSENTIALLY YOU GUYS CLASSIFY GROUP A OFFENSES CORRECT? AS, UM, REPORTS THAT ARE LIKE MURDER, ASSAULT, BURGLARY, THEFT, DRUG OFFENSES, WHAT WEAPONS VIOLATIONS? CORRECT.
UM, DURING, I GUESS I'M JUST GONNA READ SOME NUMBERS OUT.
SO IN 2010, THERE WAS 9,646 GROUP A OFFENSES IN 2011.
THIS WAS DURING THE PROGRAM, UM, 9,044.
AND IN 2012, 8,618, THERE'S BEEN A 10% DROP IN THOSE FINAL THREE YEARS OF THE PROGRAM OF CRIME, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT? ONE COULD ARGUE THAT TWO EIGHT C SEVEN G WAS WORKING, BUT IF THAT WERE TRUE, WE'D EXPECT CRIME TO RISE IF THE PROGRAM HAD ENDED.
INSTEAD, THE OPPOSITE HAD HAPPENED IN 2013 AFTER THE PROGRAM HAD ENDED.
GROUP A HAVE FENCES HAVE DROPPED TO 7,879.
AND BY 2024 LAST YEAR THEY FELL AGAIN TO 5,416.
THAT'S A 31% DROP OVER 11 YEARS.
CONSIDERING THAT THE POPULATION HAS GROWN OVER 163,000 RESIDENTS, WHICH TO BE HONEST, YOUR REPORTS ALSO FAIL TO MENTION THEY NEVER ACCOUNT FOR POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH I FEEL LIKE IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IF CRIME IS DOWN AND ARRESTS REMAIN HIGH BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GREAT AT ARRESTING PEOPLE, UM, AND OUR POPULATION HAS GROWN, WHY IS BEAUFORT COUNTY STILL BEING FRAMED AS UNSAFE AND NEEDING THIS PROGRAM? AND IF THIS IS BEING REINTRODUCED IN THE NAME OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WHAT DATA AND, OH, YOU, YOU ALREADY SAID YOU DON'T HAVE THE DATA, I THINK YOU SHOULD GET IT PROVES THAT WE NEED IT NOW.
OR IS THE REAL PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE THAT THE CO COUNTRY DOESN'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE AT ALL OF EACH INDIVIDUAL.
AND WHEN, IF YOUR OFFICE CAN RELEASE THE FULL DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF, UM, RACE, ET CETERA, IMMIGRATION STATUS SO THAT RESIDENTS AND TAXPAYERS CAN SEE FOR OURSELF AND JUSTIFY IF THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING EFFECTIVELY.
SO YOU SAID THE LAST, WAS IT THE LAST THREE YEARS FOR THE, OF THE PROGRAM? THE DROP DRAMATICALLY? NO, THE LAST THREE YEARS OF THE PROGRAM IT DROPPED 10%.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.
I CALCULATED FROM 2013 TO 2024.
I HAVE THE NUMBERS HERE, BUT I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP ANYONE'S ELSE'S TIME.
CAN YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION? WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? I MEAN, I HEARD A LOT, BUT I DIDN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANYONE ELSE'S TIME.
I GUESS IT'S, THANK YOU SHERIFF.
I GOT THIS YOUNG MAN BACK HERE IS ABOUT TO LOSE HIS ARM.
SHERIFF, YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES.
IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT THIS PROGRAM IS JUST GOING TO IMPACT PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL HAVE ALREADY UNDER SUSPICION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
THAT CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT? I MEAN, THE WAY
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THAT IT SOUNDED TO ME IS IT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE I HAVE A SUSPECT HERE FOR COMMITTING A CRIME THAT THEN I NEED REAL TIME INFORMATION.IS THAT WHAT THIS, IS IT JUST THAT SIMPLE? JUST THIS, THAT SIMPLE.
I MEAN, LOOK HERE, HERE'S THE THING THAT HARMS FOLKS MORE THAN ANYTHING.
WHEN YOU WATCH THE NATIONAL MEDIA AND YOU, AND YOU GOOGLE THINGS AND YOU START LISTEN, LOOKING AT FACEBOOK AND ALL THE OTHER STUFF AND YOU START HEARING ALL THESE STORIES, IT, IT, IT IS NOT FAIR TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING AN ASSESSMENT BASED ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A REALITY HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA OR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THESE PROGRAMS WORK, THESE PROGRAMS WORK FOR A REASON AND THE REASON THESE PROGRAMS ARE SUCCESSFUL AND THE REASON WE USE 'EM BECAUSE IT, IT PROTECTS THE HOMELAND THAT WE LIVE IN.
DON'T MAKE EXCUSES FOR MAKING SURE, OR, OR, OR, OR ASK LAW ENFORCEMENT NOT TO DO THEIR JOB.
IF YOU ARE ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT NOT TO ENFORCE IMMIGRATION LAW.
THEN YOU WANT LAW ENFORCEMENT TO STOP WORKING MURDER CASES AND ARMED ROBBERIES AND SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES.
AND WHERE DOES IT STOP? IF IT'S GONNA START HERE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO STOP? IS IT OKAY TO DRIVE DRUNK? IS IT OKAY TO BE A PEDOPHILE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUNG CHILDREN? WHERE, WHERE DOES IT STOP? SO HEY, DRAW TO DRAW THE LINE, BUT, BUT DRAW THE LINE WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, OUR ROLE IS TO ENFORCE THE LAW.
AND WE DO IT FAIRLY AND WE DO IT SUFFICIENTLY.
I WOULD SUGGEST ONE MORE QUESTION, ONE MORE, AND THEN I'LL STOP.
I'M FROM CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH.
UM, IF A PERSON CALLS IN A CRIME MM-HMM
IF THEY, IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, OR IF THEY ARE, THAT'S PROBABLY FOR HIM.
IF THEY, IF THEY CALL IN A CRIME, CAN THIS OFFICER THAT IS WORKING ON 2 87 G UNDER THE 2 87 G THING, LOOK UP THE PERSON WHO'S CALLED THE CRIME IN, CAN THEY LOOK UP THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS? YOU'LL LIKE TO ANSWER YES MA'AM.
BUT ARE, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH U VISA PROCESS? YE YES.
AND SO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT U VISA IS? WHAT WITH WHAT, WHAT THE U VISA PROCESS IS? YOU WANT YES, YES, YES.
SO U VISA PROCESS IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY IMMIGRANT WHO IS HERE ILLEGALLY IF THEY'RE A VICTIM OF A DELINEATED CRIME.
ALRIGHT? SO LONG AS THEY COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY COOPERATE WITH A PROSECUTION, THEIR PATH TO CITIZENSHIP IS MADE EASIER.
ALL RIGHT? WE GET PROBABLY THREE U VISA APPLICATIONS AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
THEY RUN THROUGH MY DESK EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I CONFIRM THAT THEY HAVE COOPERATED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT THEY HAVE COOPERATED WITH THE PROSECUTION.
AND THEN A PRI PASS IT OFF TO EITHER THE CHIEF DEPUTY OR SHERIFF CANNER FOR THEIR SIGNATURE.
AND THEN IT GOES ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
SO I'M SURE THE IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY HAS, HAS FILED MULTIPLE U VISA APPLICATIONS.
HE CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO CERTIFY AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT THEY HAVE COOPERATED WITH THE INVESTIGATION AND WITH THE PROSECUTION.
SO THERE WAS A QUESTION ON JULY 8TH ON AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM A CLIENT OF HERS THAT HER HOUSE WAS SHOT UP AND SHE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT CONTACTING LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
AND SO MY ADVICE IS, I'M NOT AN IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY, BUT MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO TELL THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, THE VICTIM OF THIS CRIME TO COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.
YOU GET A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP MUCH EASIER THROUGH THAT NEW VISA PROCESS AND OFFIC RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? YES.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT FROM YOUTUBE OR FACEBOOK.
WHEN WE GET THE CERTIFICATION FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE SEND THAT U-VISA APPLICATION IN RIGHT NOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 10 TO 15 YEARS FOR THAT PERSON TO GET THEIR LEGAL STATUS.
AND MANY, AND MOST OF OUR CLIENTS ARE WAITING FIVE, 10 OR MORE YEARS TO GET LEGAL STATUS.
SO WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE POLITICS OF IMMIGRATION.
IT'S VERY EASY TO SAY YOU NEED TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
BUT WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND YOU'VE CONCEDED TONIGHT YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IMMIGRATION LAW, THEN THAT'S WHEN THIS GETS VERY DELICATE.
IS THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP EASIER THROUGH THE YOU VISA PROCESS? ANOTHER? IT'S THE START.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS VERY LONG LINE ARE ALL VULNERABLE TO REMOVAL.
THEY'RE SITTING IN A LINE, THEY'RE DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
WE HAVEN'T HAD IMMIGRATION REFORM AND THEY'RE ALL BEING VULNERABLE TO REMOVAL.
SO WHAT DO WE TELL THE WOMAN, THE SINGLE MOM WITH THE TWO KIDS AT HOME, WHO IS SCARED TO GO TO THE POLICE BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE HER LEGAL STATUS? 'CAUSE SHE GOT THE U VISA FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE LEGAL STATUS YET.
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'CAUSE IT'S TAKING IMMIGRATION 15 YEARS.AND THESE ARE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS IF YOU WANNA BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT WE HAVE THE ROOM TILL SIX 30.
I WANNA THANK THE SHERIFF AND HIS STAFF FOR TAKING TIME TO, AND JUST A REMINDER, THE LIBRARY CLOSES AT SEVEN, SO WE NEED TO, UM, LET THEM CLOSE UP.