Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins talks immigration and 287(g) with radio host Joe Thomas, WCHV-AM, at Tuesdays Hold Their Feet to the Fire event. (Photo by Kelsey Sheehy/MNS)
WASHINGTON — Standing in a room full of conservative talk-radio hosts, congressman, activists and fellow law enforcement personnel, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins was in his element Wednesday at the Phoenix Park Hotel.
“I feel comfortable here,” he said. “These are my allies.”
Comfortable, and even a little star-struck, Jenkins pointed out Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., to his spokeswoman and companion for a marathon day of radio interviews.
Jenkins participated in Hold Their Feet to the Fire, a two-day immigration event put on by Federation for American Immigration Reform, a non-profit organization focused on stopping illegal immigration.
By day’s end, Jenkins had 14 radio interviews under his belt.
Whether it was with KNST-AM in Tucson or WAVA-FM in Arlington, it was the same routine:
What is 287(g)? What does it mean? Is it like SB1070?
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
“It’s good. It helps him keep to his shtick,” said department spokeswoman Jennifer Bailey.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Department is one of 69 offices participating in the 287(g) program. Implemented by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in 1996, the program trains local law enforcement to identify undocumented immigrants coming through their jails and gives them the authority to start the detention process.
In 2010 the department detained 808 immigrants under the program. Each one was arrested for a criminal offense by the sheriff’s department or local police and identified as undocumented when processed through the county jail.
Jenkins said catching what he called “illegal aliens” is not the department’s focus, contrary to criticism he’s received.
“They think we have a white van going around to day labor centers rounding people up,” he said. “That’s just not the case.”
Although Jenkins said the program is catching the worst offenders – murders, rapists, robbers – only 75 of the 808 immigrants detained last year were felony offenders, according to the department’s annual report, which has yet to be officially released.
The other 733 were arrested on misdemeanor offenses.
In 2009 the ratio was 46 felony charges to 530 misdemeanors.
As the program moves into its fourth year, Jenkins said he hopes what he’s doing in Frederick County will influence change on a broader scale.
“I’d like to see Maryland change some of its laws and I hope what I’m doing will be a catalyst for those changes,” he said.
And he didn’t rule out seeking a higher office to make that happen.
“I’m right now committed to being sheriff,” he said. “But who knows what the future will bring.”