Local residents are questioning Franklin County law enforcement officials about the decision to revoke the policy of sanctuary for undocumented immigrants living in the US. On Monday, in Hampton, over 200 people attended a meeting to air concerns over the decision by Linn Larson, the Sheriff of Franklin County, to end the policy of non-cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to The Globe Gazette.
The change was made three weeks after Larson was sworn into office, on 23 January. Two days earlier, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would see the de-funding of sanctuary jurisdictions if they refuse to obey federal immigration law. The new policy guarantees that the Sheriff’s office will cooperate with all law enforcement agencies asking for their help, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Larson claims that he ended the sanctuary city as he did not like that it allowed him to ‘pick and choose’ the law enforcement agencies he did or did not want to work. He added that he feels it is not within the rights of the Sherriff’s office to make such a determination.
Those at the meeting were concerned about the circumstances that undocumented immigrants might face with deportation, and also expressed fears over the possibility of racial profiling in a community that has a high percentage of Latino residents. Robert Schaefer, the Hampton Police Chief, says that unless someone commits a serious offense nothing is going to change in the community.