The application of immigration and customs is only at the same time in billions of the “large bill” expenses legislation and under pressure to quickly hire 10,000 new agents. But a tactic that recently tried to make that hiring, aggressively recruiting new agents of some of its most reliable local laws, may have alienated some of the leaders you need to help execute what the Trump administration wants to be the greatest mass deportation in the history of the United States.
“We are your strength multipliers, and this is the thanks we receive for helping them do their job?” Polk County, Florida, Sheriff Gray Judd said in an interview. Judd said he is not happy with a recruitment email, the deputy director of ICE, sent to hundreds of his deputies, and blamed the National Secretary of National Security Kristi Noem, who supervises the ice.
“Kristi Noem needs to get in his big pants and do the right thing. He needs to make sure there is an apology,” said Judd, who also made it clear that he wants to “support the mission of President Trump.”
NBC News spoke with the local leaders of the law in four states whose agencies participate in ICE program (g), by virtue of which local officers are deputies to help in the application of immigration, and whose deputies ICE went to recruitment.
The recruitment email, sent this week, seems to have addressed the agents of the law whose agencies participate in program 287 (G).
The email, which NBC News has obtained, says, in part: “As someone who is currently supporting ICE through program 287 (G), includes the unique responsibility that we lead to protecting our communities and defending federal law. His experience in the application of state or local law provides vision and disabling skills to this mission, we now need more than ever.”
The email also promotes possible signing bonds of $ 50,000 as an incentive to join ICE, and links a government recruitment website with an image of uncle Sam, the headline “America needs it” and the possibility of up to $ 60,000 in the payment of student loans beyond the signature bonds.
“ICE actively trying to use our association to recruit our staff is wrong and we have expressed our concern for ICE leadership,” said the Sheriff’s office, from Pinellas County, of the Sheriff in a statement.
The Sheriff in Pinellas County is a Republican, just like Judd.
“It was a bad judgment that will cause an erosion of a relationship that has improved lately. And it will be needed to overcome, and leadership will be needed in DHS really balance, because, hey, they need the state and the locals,” said Jonathan Thompson, executive director and CEO of the National Association of Sheriffs, in an interview.
Thompson said the association has heard more than a dozen agencies for application of the law on electronic recruitment emails. He also said that the group has not had news of the DHS since the emails were marked to the association and that it intends to send a “very severe note” to the ice.
“This is an inappropriate behavior of an associated organization,” said Thompson. “We are all on the same ship. And you just don’t treat friends or colleagues like this.”
A Florida police chief who did not want to be appointed for concern that his department could face reprisals said that the departments that have been associated with the federal government now fear that they can lose their best officers.
“Now you know why everyone is so angry,” said the boss.
“This is like the transfer portal in university sports,” said the boss, added: “We see that people leave us because they believe they can earn more money in other places … The police have always been a vocation. It is now a job.”
The DHS Media Office did not answer the questions about the local concerns of application of the law, but provided NBC News with a statement that attributed to a senior DHS official: “ICE is recruiting the application of the law, veterans and other patriots who wish to serve their country … This includes the application of the local law, veterans and our 287 partners (g) who have already been trained and have been trained valuable law.
The Sheriff’s office in Forsyth County, Georgia, told NBC News that the Atlanta Ice office “apologized” by recruitment email.
Not all Sheriff are upset with recruitment effort. In fact, some say they support him.
Thaddeus Cleveland, the Sheriff of Terrell County, Texas, said: “I think that someone wants to improve their life, improve their career, you know, look for the long years, the long game, retirement, there is nothing better than the United States government to leave and have a successful career.”
Cleveland, who has only four deputies, admits that he cannot compete with the $ 50,000 bonds offered by the agency.
“We may not be able to turn it around and hire someone the next day. It can take a few weeks. It can take a few months. But, again, support, you know, someone who wants to chase something that interests them. I can end up having to work a little more, which is fine.”
Goliad County, Texas, Sheriff Roy Boyd also said he is not upset about recruitment and pointed out that his office also has to deal with the new soldiers of the state of his department.
“We cannot compete with the salaries of the State and the federals,” he said.
