Sheriff Richardi says he never joined 287(g), will continue to detain when warranted

During the meeting Sheriff Domenic Richardi addressed public questions about the county’s relationship with federal immigration enforcement. In response to a question from citizen Ed Comeau, the sheriff said he "never joined the 287(g) program, never backed out of it, and never said he would not assist federal agencies (Marshals or others)." He said the department will continue to detain individuals when warranted and can access necessary databases through other agencies or via warrants already appearing in the system.

Richardi also told the board that rumors attributing withdrawal from 287(g) to an overload of RSA 91-A requests were incorrect and that the department sees no present need to train personnel when other county resources exist. The remarks were delivered during the meeting’s operational updates and public comment period.