Moab-area ICE action prompts dust-up, mild rebuke from Grand County Sheriff's Office

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The presence of ICE agents in the Moab area on Monday sparked a dust-up among some.
The Grand County Sheriff's Office expressed disappointment at the "unprecedented lack of information and communication" in the matter from immigration authorities.
The incident highlights debate over local law enforcement's role in immigration enforcement.

MOAB — The presence of federal immigration officials in Grand County on Monday prompted a dust-up among some and a rebuke from the Grand County Sheriff's Office.

According to the Moab Valley Multicultural Center, a Moab-based cultural organization, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were in the Moab area between about 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday.

"At this time, we understand that ICE is here to detain a specific number of individuals, although we do not know how many," the organization said in a post late Monday morning.

Sightings of immigration officials aren't unusual in light of the federal crackdown on illegal immigration, but the Grand County Sheriff's Office also sounded off, providing a mild rebuke to federal authorities and distancing itself from the action. One person was detained, according to the multicultural center.

"The activity today was not relayed to the Grand County Sheriff's Office in advance and the Grand County Sheriff's Office is not involved or participating in any immigration warrant service. The Grand County Sheriff's Office is disappointed and surprised by this unprecedented lack of information and communication," the sheriff's office said via social media.

Sheriff Jamison Wiggins also addressed the issue in a video posted to the sheriff's office Facebook page, saying federal authorities were serving administrative warrants. He also stressed that local law enforcement was not involved.

"The Grand County Sheriff's Office and the Moab City Police Department will not be helping in those efforts," he said.

ICE and the Department of Homeland Security didn't immediately respond to a query late Monday afternoon seeking comment.

The federal immigration crackdown has sparked debate all around the country — some lauding the activity as needed to combat illegal immigration, while others say the action is heavy-handed and unfairly targets productive community members, notwithstanding their migratory status. Likewise, the crackdown has prompted debate about the role local law enforcement should have in the detention of immigrants, which is typically a federal responsibility.

The issue prompted intense debate in Ogden after an ICE agent detained a man on a city street in the presence of an Ogden police officer on Aug. 25 — an encounter caught on video and circulated via social media. The officer was handling an unrelated call when he happened upon the scene and was approached both by the ICE agent and the man the agent was pursuing for help.

Critics blasted the police for what they perceived to be the cooperation of the Ogden officer with the ICE agent. Others defended the officer, saying he was put in a tough situation and that he did his best to de-escalate it.

Numerous law enforcement agencies around Utah and the rest of the United States have entered into formal agreements with ICE to assist in the detention of immigrants in the country illegally. The Grand County Sheriff's Office, Moab Police Department and Ogden Police Department don't have such accords, known as 287(g) agreements.

On learning of the immigration enforcement action in the Moab area, the Moab Valley Multicultural Center put its focus on assisting those who may have been impacted by the activity.

"We coordinated volunteers to provide free transportation for people who did not feel safe driving to work, medical appointments, school-related activities and other essential destinations," the group said in a statement. "We also made our advocacy and legal support services available to those affected, including free legal consultations, emergency planning resources, assistance locating detained individuals, mental health referrals and other forms of direct support."

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