Sheriff Sanders addresses concerns pertaining to immigration enforcement

Over the last few weeks, I’ve fielded a number of questions and concerns pertaining to immigration enforcement as this politically charged topic has dominated headlines.

The vision of our Sheriff’s Office is “Unified Public Safety”, and we cannot do this without the help of everyone residing in our community. First and foremost, all people within our county must feel comfortable and confident when they call 911. Fear of deportation decreases the likelihood of calling 911 for help, which erodes our ability to detect and solve crime. This issue becomes even more dire for crimes such as human trafficking and commercial sex abuse.

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office does not participate in immigration enforcement. Our policy prohibits sharing information, arresting, detaining, interrogating, inquiring, or otherwise engaging in immigration enforcement. This applies to all members of the office, from patrol to our jail. The authority delegated to Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is derived from our State Constitution. As an office, we are responsible for enforcing state law and local ordinances. We are not federal law enforcement officers.

There is zero evidence to suggest that immigrants are a major driving factor of crime in Thurston County. Between proactive policing and responding to 911 calls, deputies rarely encounter individuals who have been flagged by federal immigration law enforcement. Consistent with the demographics of Thurston County, the vast majority of our suspects, victims, and witnesses are citizens born in the United States.

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will continue to seek out and arrest those who victimize others, regardless of their citizenship status, wealth, race, color, sex, religion, or any other class of persons. All persons who commit crimes against others in Thurston County will be sought out and arrested consistently.

Anything short of this standard erodes trust in our criminal justice system to function impartially.