McLean Co. Sheriff: Immigration enforcement unchanged under Trump

Posted on February 20, 2017

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage says President Trump’s call for a crackdown on illegal immigration hasn’t impacted his department’s operations. (WJBC file photo)

By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – Don’t expect to see an increase in immigration enforcement in McLean County, despite calls from the Trump administration to have local police work with federal immigration officials on rounding up illegal immigrants.

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn his office hasn’t received any specific direction from the feds.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Patti’s interview with Sandage on WJBC.

“It’s really up in the air,” Sandage said. “I don’t think that the federal government or any of the local municipalities have the manpower to deal with something like that.”

Sandage said he also doesn’t want to create an atmosphere where the undocumented would be hesitant to call police out of fear they could get departed.

“We don’t want that community to be afraid to call police if they need us,” Sandage said. “If they’ve been a victim of domestic violence, we want them to call.”

Sandage said his office handled 28 detainer requests for inmates last year.

Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…