BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. () — More than 100 residents gathered at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office headquarters, voicing significant concerns over a proposal to introduce a local immigration task force in the county.
“ICE recently received a 350% budget increase. They have plenty of assistance. With all due respect, sir, we need your help. We need your help,” stated one community member.
Among the over 100 attendees, the majority expressed opposition to Beaufort County Sheriff PJ Tanners’ proposal to establish a local immigration task force in the county.
The force would be created through the federal ICE Agency’s 287(g) program.
“You have one of the most innovative, progressive departments in South Carolina,” another community member said. “Your job is to protect and serve all, and right now you are not protecting my community. Is your intention to cause community mistrust and to isolate my community and make them feel targeted?”
Sheriff Tanner responded, “You all are looking at this as like we’re going to have 350 deputies out there running the streets of Beaufort County, picking up people from Wal-Mart or Publix. That’s not the case at all.”
Tanner explained he would only need one trained immigration deputy and that program wouldn’t be targeting immigrants, but undocumented people who commit crimes.
“We see a pattern of people of color being identified as criminals just because they are a little darker than other people,” a community member said.
Another added on, “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.”
Many people who took the podium called out the sheriff.
They said the program would force more immigrants into hiding and less crime would be reported out of fear. Some even said they were scared the county will become a target for the federal agency.
“You can talk about stuff that you’ve seen on the national media,” Tanner said. “You can talk about ICE agents running around in an unmarked car, wearing masks with no name tags. You can talk about all of that. But let me tell you, and I told you folks when we started, if it’s not happening in Beaufort County? It’s not a question. It is not happening here in Beaufort County.”
The audience shouted back at Tanner, “Yet!”
Sheriff Tanner confirmed that as of now, the BCSO does not have an active 287(g) program.
