Hennepin County Sheriff Won’t Honor ICE Hold Requests

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Hennepin County sheriff says his department will no longer honor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests for detainee holds.

ICE has asked local jails to detain some inmates up to 48 hours after they are eligible for release so they can be considered for deportation. In the past, local law enforcement officials have considered the requests mandatory. But recent federal court rulings have stated ICE detention requests are simply that, requests and not orders.

Of 36,000 inmates booked into the Hennepin County Jail each year, about 1.5 percent have ICE detention requests. Sheriff Rich Stanek says he consulted with the county attorney, the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and others before making the policy change.

The ACLU believes the ICE requests are unconstitutional.