Gwinnett County sheriff defends immigration enforcement policies

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor defended his handling of immigration enforcement policies after state lawmakers and community groups said he wasn’t being transparent about the process. Activists say they need more detail on what “coordinating with ICE” actually means.

“We will cooperate with ICE according to the law,” Taylor said. “I’ve heard the term me not being transparent or we are trying to hide. We are not trying to hide anything.”

The sheriff acknowledged concerns surrounding House Bill 1105 - a new state law which requires sheriff’s offices to coordinate with ice when a person in custody is suspected of being in the country illegally.

“If someone came in and ICE put a detainer on them, and they come in under legitimate charges with a warrant or whatever and a detainer is placed we are going to honor those detainers,” Taylor said.

Sheriff Taylor responded directly to criticism from state reps. Marvin Lim and Jasmine Clark, who accused his office of lacking transparency following a community meeting on the matter at the Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

“When you have people like Clark and Lim who come back out and they make statements saying that we are not being transparent, and they don’t even take the time, effort, or energy to attend the meeting to me that’s irresponsible and that’s reckless,” Taylor said.

State Representative Jasmine Clark responded with this statement saying, “Meeting with advocates and elected officials is a great first step, but I know the community would love to hear from him too to quell some of the fears and hear the answers to some of their most pressing questions…”

“The Sheriff has stated to me in writing that there is “mutually beneficial cooperation” between the Sheriff’s office and DHS and ICE. All the meetings and press conferences that happened this week did not change that he has still provided no information in writing or orally when that cooperation happens and when it doesn’t,” State Rep. Marvin Lim said.

“Our job is to enforce the law. Not to invoke fear in our communities,” Taylor said.

Currently there are 279 people with ICE detainers that are being held in the Gwinnett County jail.