The AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County Jail saw a drastic reduction in the number of undocumented immigrants it transferred into Immigrations Customs Enforcement custody in the first part of 2017, according to a new study.
The study from the Migration Policy Institute shows the Austin area’s ICE numbers contrast those in other major jurisdictions in Texas � , which saw the largest increase in ICE detentions. The report examined arrests and ICE requests to detain suspected undocumented immigrants from the first half-year of Trump’s presidency. It found a 37 percent increase nationally in deportations.
AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County’s drop in detainer requests between 2016 and 2017 was attributed to the county's adoption of a policy to limit compliance with ICE detainers, except in cases of capital murder, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping and felony drug cases.
AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County Sheriff Sally Hernandez formally adopted that policy in January 2017, prompting the conservative Legislature to pass a law outlawing county and municipal lawmakers from instituting similar policies. Gov. Greg Abbott also withheld state grants to AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County after the policy’s rollout.
During the study’s roughly six-month window, the AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County Sheriff's Office transferred 83 percent fewer undocumented immigrants into ICE custody and saw a 46 percent in denials of ICE detainer requests.
While the study notes AGÕæÈË°Ù¼ÒÀÖ County had the largest drop-off in transfers and an increase in denials to ICE, it said the numbers after August â€� when the county rescinded its policy to comply with state law â€� would be much higher.
