County official trying to help ICE, despite sanctuary law
Jan 25, 2025, 6:00 AM | Updated: 12:43 pm
The Trump Administration has already begun making good on its promise to deport illegal immigrants who pose a threat to public safety. However, some jurisdictions in Washington are actively undermining these efforts via sanctuary laws.
But there’s at least one county official willing to test the state’s fortitude. Benton County Commissioner Jerome Delvin hopes to let U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain criminal migrants at the local jail.
“Our jail can hold about 750 to 800 people … we’re around 340, maybe 320,” Delvin told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “So, you know, we have a lot of space there. And I thought, well, you know, they would talk about not having enough room to hold detainees until they’re deported.”
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Due to the 2019 Keep Washington Working Act, the sanctuary state policy, Washington currently restricts localities’ ability to assist federal law enforcement with deportations. But even if the state took issue with Delvin’s idea, he argues he wouldn’t be violating the law.
“I’m just looking for a way to offset our jail costs and if we can hold those detainees,” he said. “I don’t think that sanctuary law doesn’t allow us to do that.”
Delvin also said nobody on the Left has been able to explain to him why they can’t differentiate between illegal immigrants who contribute to society and violent criminals.
“They can’t make an argument,” he said. “I want to keep our community safer and also if we can earn some money to offset the local costs from the jail, why not?”
You can listen to the full interview with Delvin by clicking on the player below:
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
