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ICE Threatens Sheriffs In Chicago and Minneapolis With Prosecution Over Access to Inmates
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Federal officials have threatened criminal charges against two county sheriffs in Minneapolis and Chicago for not granting immigration agents broad access to inmates subject to deportation.
- The sheriffs, Dawanna Witt of Hennepin County and Tom Dart of Cook County, both Democrats, received letters warning that withholding inmates could lead to federal witness tampering charges, a felony.
- Legal experts consider it unlikely that prosecutors could successfully charge the sheriffs with witness tampering, but the threats align with the Trump administration’s push against sanctuary jurisdictions.
- The Justice Department has sued several local governments over immigration enforcement cooperation, but federal judges have dismissed lawsuits against Sheriffs Witt and Dart, affirming local authority to limit involvement in immigration enforcement.
