The February 24, 2024 email was obtained through a Georgia Open Records Act request. exchange Between Clark County Sheriff John Q. Williams and Gertz. This exchange, sent two days after Laken Riley’s murder, was shocking.
Sheriff Williams contacted Mayor Gertz and asked if the county he was responsible for protecting was a “sanctuary” jurisdiction. But things get even worse. Sheriff Williams then threatened to use “all means necessary” if Athens-Clarke County government did not address the county’s refusal to cooperate with ICE. [his] Authority to protect the integrity and professionalism of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office; [himself]”
Just the fact that Sheriff Williams seems more interested in covering his butt than anything else is appalling. But the fact that he appears to have no knowledge of his department’s policies regarding cooperation with federal immigration authorities raises serious questions about his ability to manage a law enforcement agency that serves more than 120,000 people. is being cast.
In addition, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office website provides information on inmate mail and visitation in both English and English. Spanish. If there are so many Spanish-speaking inmates in Sheriff Williams’ jail, there’s a good chance at least some of them are foreign nationals being sought by ICE, and the sheriff’s office is concerned about the sanctuary shenanigans. There is absolutely no excuse for professing ignorance.
But what raises further questions is whether Sheriff Williams believes the best way to protect the integrity of his agency is to follow the law, so that ICE can accomplish its mission and remove criminal aliens. The fact is that I had never thought of that.
Mayor Giltz’s response is even more worrying. He noted that Williams’ predecessor refused to respect the honor of ICE detainees and praised policies of non-cooperation. Indigenous people. ”
It’s bad enough that Mayor Gertz is in favor of ignoring federal laws he doesn’t like. But his willingness to do so appears to be based on the mistaken belief that illegal aliens are generally more law-abiding than Americans. But that reasoning is problematic. By definition, all illegal aliens begin their relationship with the United States by breaking the law.
And to cap off this demonstration of lawlessness and incompetence, Mayor Gertz said the “lessons” learned from the Laken Riley murder were “in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy, focus on the victim…avoid political messages and seek comfort and solidarity.” We should focus on that.” ”
For Kelly Gertz, the brutal murder of college students is a public relations problem. And this is a public relations problem that should be addressed not by arresting or deporting foreign law violators, but by sowing seeds of “comfort and solidarity.”
Laken Riley’s parents are so “comforted” by the fact that Athens-Clarke County is run by anti-border extremists who seem to care more about the reputation of the immigrant community than their U.S. citizen daughter’s life. Some people may wonder if they are doing so.
Who would have thought that one day Americans would be as feared by our elected leaders as we are by street thugs?
Matt O’Brien is Immigration Reform Law Institute He is also the co-host of IRLI’s podcast No Border, No Country. Immediately prior to working at IRLI, he served as an immigration judge. He has nearly 30 years of experience in immigration law and policy and has held numerous positions within the Department of Homeland Security.
