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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent James Brooks spoke to a full room July 30 during a Queen Anne’s County Republican Central Committee informational session, offering a nonpartisan overview of ICE’s operations, national enforcement protocols and local implications.

Brooks, the community relations officer for ICE’s Washington and Baltimore field offices, outlined the agency’s primary focus on enforcing immigration law as enacted by Congress. ICE is tasked with identifying, arresting, detaining and removing individuals unlawfully present in the United States.

Underscoring the complexity of the issue at hand after decades of interpretation and practice by several White House administrations. “Immigration law is the second most complex set of codes next to tax codes,� Brooks said.

reviewing options

In separate interviews, Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Chris Corchiarino and Sheriff Gary Hofmann said the county’s intent is to “fully comply� with federal mandates. They noted that many components of the 287(g) program — through which local jurisdictions partner with ICE on immigration enforcement — are already being fulfilled within the scope of current capabilities.

For example, there is a designated desk for ICE agents at the county sheriff’s office, and at least one recent transfer has been made from the county detention center to immigration officials, officials said.

In July, county leadership assembled a task force to study the 287(g) program. The group — composed of Corchiarino, Hofmann, legal counsel and a representative from the detention center — is evaluating the purpose of such an agreement, the potential fiscal impact and any legal liabilities.

Corchiarino said the county commissioners would be required to vote before entering into any agreement. That vote could take place as early as this fall. He added that any needed funding could be drawn from the existing budget.

“As a sheriff, my commitment is to foster a safe environment for all members of our community, regardless of their citizenship status,� Hofmann said. “We recognize the complexities of immigration laws and the impact they can have on federal funding. Our priority is to protect our citizens from gangs, criminals and violent offenders while also showing compassion and support for our immigrant community.�

Understanding ICE operations

Brooks explained that ICE’s operational components include Enforcement and Removal Operations, which conducts arrests and removals, and Homeland Security Investigations, which investigates transnational crimes.

“We don’t go out and see who we can arrest,� Brooks said. “We already know who we are targeting when ICE is going out to effect arrests.�

He stressed that ICE detention is meant to streamline the deportation process, not to punish.

However, due to Maryland’s “Dignity Not Detention� law, ICE must seek out-of-state facilities for detainees, oftentimes in Pennsylvania or Virginia.

Maryland has no ICE detention centers, only field holding offices — meaning the Baltimore and Salisbury centers for ICE do not contain beds and are not designed to house detainees past a temporary hold. The goal aims to transfer individuals “within hours,� Brooks said. But he could not confirm what current protocol and practices are at those offices.

At press time, ICE had not responded to follow-up inquiries about these procedures.

The removal process, he noted, is far more involved than simply returning an immigrant to their country of origin. It often includes considerations for asylum, travel documentation, legal proceedings before an immigration judge, and agreements with third-party countries.

Brooks said while ICE officers often face criticism, morale remains high within the Baltimore field office. “Officers are busy but good. They know they’re making a difference in their communities by going after the worst of the worst,� he said.

He added that some officers choose to wear masks when in public as a personal safety measure due to the agency’s current public image.

Community perspectives

The presentation was meant to provide factual, nonpartisan information, according to QACRCC President Helen Bennett.

“I think it counter-balances the misinformation that is out there,� Bennett said. “And really, knowledge is power and we need to get information that is real, viable and truthful.�

Bennett said she was particularly surprised to learn about the lack of ICE detention centers in Maryland, calling out-of-state transfers “a pretty penny.� She noted that many attendees expressed interest in learning more about forming a 287(g) agreement.

Committee member Rick Bowers voiced his personal belief that the county should “fully engage� with ICE to enhance public safety and federal resource access.

Conversely, Queen Anne’s County Democratic Central Committee Chair Elaine McNeil said her committee opposes entering into a 287(g) agreement.

“They just want a new start. And we’re all trying to enjoy that ourselves,� McNeil said of immigrants. She expressed concern that individuals could be “unlawfully processed and treated in a manner like some kind of criminal.�

The topic remains under discussion by the Democratic committee, she said.