Federal Agencies, Agency Memos & Announcements

ICE Issues Subpoenas to Obtain Information Refused Under Sanctuary Policies

2/28/20 AILA Doc. No. 20012130. Detention & Bond, Removal & Relief

February 28, 2020

ICE announced that the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon has responded to the subpoenas issued by ICE for non-public information on immigrants who were criminally arrested and detained in the county jail. ICE says that it is anticipating responses to additional subpoenas served to law enforcement agencies in Clackamas and Wasco Counties, the Hillsboro Police Department and the Oregon State Police, prior to their March 3 deadline.

February 21, 2020

ICE announced that it served five more immigration subpoenas on the Hillsboro Police Department, Wasco County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon seeking information on individuals who were criminally arrested in their jurisdictions.

February 18, 2020

ICE announced that it served two immigration subpoenas on the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for information about two immigrants criminally arrested in Hillsboro, Oregon. Per ICE, the immigration subpoenas are “necessary” due to sanctuary laws that prohibit Oregon counties, including local law enforcement agencies in these counties, from fulfilling ICE’s requests for information and cooperation. These immigration subpoenas are the first in Oregon.

February 14, 2020

ICE announced that it served four immigration subpoenas on the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office (SDSO) for information about multiple immigrants criminally arrested in San Diego. Per ICE, under California’s sanctuary state laws, the SDSO did not honor immigration detainers or provide ICE non-public information about the immigrants, including notifying ICE when the individuals were released back to the community. Per ICE, the immigration subpoenas issued are the first in California.

February 13, 2020

ICE announced that it served three immigration subpoenas to the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections officials, requesting information on multiple undocumented immigrants who were criminally arrested in Connecticut. Per ICE, under Connecticut’s non-cooperation policies, officials “refused to honor immigration detainers or even provide ICE with information about the release dates” of the individuals. ICE noted that “issuance of these immigration subpoenas was necessary because the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections has continued to ignore ICE’s requests for information and cooperation.”

January 13, 2020

The Denver Post reported that ICE subpoenaed the Denver Justice Center for “information on four foreign nationals wanted for deportation.” According to the Post, “Immigration officials earlier had sent requests to the Denver jail to alert them about when the suspects would be released, but the city does not comply with such requests with as much advance notice as ICE wants, typically 48 hours.”

January 18, 2020

ICE announced that it served four immigration subpoenas on the NY Department of Corrections (NYDOC) requesting information on multiple individuals arrested in New York city in response to NYDOC’s refusal to honor ICE detainers. Per the press release, ICE has not historically used its authority to issue subpoenas to obtain information from other law enforcement agencies, but did so because the NYDOC continued to ignore “ICE’s requests for information and cooperation.”

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