Today, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano announced the termination of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The 287(g) agreement, which has cost Charleston County taxpayers millions of dollars, authorized Charleston County Sheriff’s Deputies to engage in federal immigration enforcement. Graziano pledged to end the agreement in a candidate questionnaire submitted to the ACLU of South Carolina.
The 287(g) program encourages widespread racial profiling, wastes millions of Charleston County taxdollars, and undermines relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. The goal of our public safety system is to ensure the safety and well being of all and the 287(g) program fails that basic test. Charleston County must focus its resources on the needs outlined by the community and Charleston County voters made clear that it is time to end its 287(g) agreement. We thank Sheriff Graziano for keeping her promise to the voters and pledge to the ACLU.
Today’s action by Sheriff Graziano leaves just three South Carolina counties in the 287(g) program. Those counties are: Horry County, Lexington County, and York County.
