Residents urge commissioners to oppose ICE cooperation and to condition sheriff funding over 287(g) agreement

At the March 26 Hamilton County Commission meeting, several residents used the public-comment period to press commissioners to break ties with federal immigration enforcement.

Blake Wright of District 11 told commissioners he and others do not want a relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said ICE 'already made clear they're not going to follow due process,' and urged the sheriff and the commission to disengage from ICE. Wright said more than 60 residents had handwritten letters and that many have been protesting the county’s cooperation.

Jess Alexander and Jess Bonham both called on the commission to publicly oppose the county’s 287(g) agreement and to deny additional funding to the sheriff’s office until the agreement is terminated. Alexander asked commissioners to make clear where they stand on the 287(g) agreement and questioned what mechanisms prevent racial profiling under the arrangement. Bonham framed the matter as both a fiscal and moral concern, saying county tax dollars should instead support services such as education and transportation.

Veronica Williams, a law student set to graduate in May, also told commissioners she opposes ICE presence in the county and objected to actions she said separate families. She thanked local law-enforcement officers for their service but said she did not support county cooperation that she said could lead to family separations.

Chair and commissioners did not take an immediate policy vote during the public-comment period. Several speakers asked the commission to use budget leverage and public statement to influence sheriff policy; no formal direction or conditional funding action appears in the transcript.