Donna Buckley
BOURNE – Donna Buckley will terminate Barnstable County’s agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) shortly after being sworn in as Sheriff on Wednesday.
The inauguration ceremony will be taking place at Cape Cod Community College at 10:30 a.m. A letter terminating the ICE agreement will then be signed at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office at 3:30 p.m.
In a statement, Buckley said ICE caused many on Cape Cod to “live in fear,” contending that there was no proof that the agency has kept the community safe.
The Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office was the only county-based public safety organization in New England to have an agreement with ICE and their 287(g) program prior to Buckley’s decision.
Section 287(g) of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act allows certain officers across the country to enforce federal laws relation to immigration.
These actions include the identification and detaining of immigrants suspected to be in the country without documentation.
The 287(g) program has received both support and opposition in the past, being endorsed by groups like the National Sheriffs’ Association while being criticized by organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
About Brendan Fitzpatrick
