Below you will find a statement from Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano in response to the most recent letter from Representative Nancy Mace and the state Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
“In today’s Post and Courier, the commentary headline poses: 'whose side is Nancy Mace on?' It is clearer than ever that she is on the side of chaos. This latest attempt of bullying and deflection does not deter me from our clear mission. We follow the law. And I will say it again: Nancy Mace is a liar. Just because she and her congressional colleagues cannot solve our country’s federal immigration problem doesn’t mean they get to make it mine. It does not make it the problem of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office or any other local law enforcement agency in the United States. Because Congress has failed to do its job, lawmakers like her think it’s their job to force someone else to do their work. Not on my watch.
This is an abuse of power, and this is what the taxpayers of the United States are paying for. She is using her position to nationalize and influence a local election. I welcome her and her colleagues to send us a subpoena – to prove we are following the law and doing everything by the book. Bring it on. We are doing what hundreds of other detention centers across the country are choosing to do – to stay in our lane. What is Nancy Mace doing to compel the detention centers in her own district to participate in 287(g)?
Additionally, below is some context on the documents we are releasing:
Pages 1-3: This is an example of what an ICE detainer (request) looks like. Our detention center gets these frequently. The records employees at the Detention Center dialogue with ICE agents, letting them know that we only accept ICE detainers that accompany an immigration judge’s signature and warrant. ICE agents are updated on the people they are watching either through our records office, our public website, or the court system. We invite ICE agents to act – and they do -- once their people of interest are released so they can take custody, responsibility, and liability on this federal issue.
Page 4: This is an example of what the order looks like when an immigration judge has signed it. This is what our agency needs to honor an ICE detainer. It is a legal document that carries weight and significance.
Page 5: This is an example of what the warrant for removal looks like when an immigration judge has determined probable cause. This is what our agency needs to honor an ICE detainer. We follow the law.
Pages 6-8: This is a chain of emails regarding the person of interest that Congresswoman Nancy Mace has been referring to in the media and her letters. As you will see in the chain of emails, the ICE agent states that this person arrived in the country legally. This person is currently on an ankle monitor, and ICE was informed of his release on the local charges and had a week to get an immigration judge’s signature to honor the detainer. ICE did not provide an immigration judge’s order or sign a warrant on this person and still has not.
Page 9: This is a text message Mace is sending out to voters, alleging that our agency is not following the law. We ask the media and the public to consider and ask what Mace’s intentions may be.
Lastly, here is a link to the CCSO policy and procedure on Intake and Processing."
