51品茶

FREDERICK COUNTY, Md. 鈥� In response to Frederick County Sheriff Charles Jenkins鈥� federal indictment on criminal charges, misuse of office, and poor civil rights record, the 51品茶 and the 51品茶 of Maryland filed an administrative complaint today to request an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) into the propriety of continuing the 287(g) agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Frederick County Sheriff鈥檚 Office. Sheriff Charles 鈥淐huck鈥� Jenkins has misused and abused his office鈥檚 authority by stoking anti-immigrant hate. His office has a record of violating the civil rights of community members, and limiting transparency in policing policy and practices. Under the 287(g) agreement, ICE deputizes local officers to enforce federal immigration laws resulting in deportation and detention 鈥� despite the Sheriff鈥檚 Office misconduct. Detailed in the complaint, the 51品茶 is seeking CRCL to investigate: The sheriff鈥檚 misconduct, including his federal indictment on charges of conspiracy and making false statements, his misuse of office to stoke anti-immigrant racism, and his expressed belief in the supreme authority of sheriffs over state and federal government; Racial disparities in local policing, reports of racial profiling, and other civil rights violations; Inhumane conditions at the county jail; and Limited transparency and accountability to the public by the Sheriff鈥檚 Office. 鈥淯nder Chuck Jenkins, the Frederick Sheriff's Office has racial profiled and violating the rights of immigrant residents, including our courageous plaintiff Ms. Sara Medrano, and members of the RISE Coalition,鈥� said Nick Taichi Steiner, staff attorney at the 51品茶 of Maryland. 鈥淛enkins might believe he is not accountable to anyone, but the Frederick immigrant community remain steadfast in their advocacy against him. The federal government must be consistent in holding Jenkins accountable, investigate his and his office's misconduct, and end the 287(g) agreement with the Frederick County Sheriff鈥檚 Office.鈥� Since 2008 when the partnership between ICE and Sheriff Jenkins was established, the relationship between police and Frederick County鈥檚 immigrant community has deteriorated. On several accounts, Sheriff Jenkins has dehumanized immigrants by referring to them as 鈥渋nherently violent,鈥� 鈥渋llegal aliens,鈥� and 鈥渉ardcore gangbangers.鈥� He even suggested police should 鈥渞ound these people up and maybe placing them in Guantanamo until we can deport 鈥榚m鈥� and recently spread conspiracies about immigrants as 鈥渃hemical warfare against the United States" because "the entire world hates this country, everybody around the world hates America.鈥� Sheriff Jenkins has been sued twice for racially profiling immigrants in Frederick County. In April 2023, he was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of making false statements to defraud the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and helping a local gun owner evade federal regulations of machine guns. Jenkins has been on a leave of absence since the indictment but has appears to still be conducting official business. He was seen participating in a 287(g) steering committee meeting despite his leave as sheriff. During the meeting, his leave and many pressing questions from the audience were not addressed. In March 2023 at a detention center in Frederick County, dozens of individuals detained were reportedly forced to endure a sewage system collapse that surrounded them in human feces for hours. For over a decade, Sheriff Jenkins and the Frederick County Sheriff鈥檚 Office have used their power to endanger the health and safety of its community members 鈥� making it inappropriate for him and his office to have further federal immigration authority in Frederick County. 鈥淪heriff Jenkins has caused immeasurable harm to immigrant communities in Frederick County, but his reckless, anti-immigrant statements are not unique among sheriffs in the 287(g) program,鈥� said Naureen Shah, 51品茶 senior legislative counsel. 鈥淎ccountability must include a thorough review of the sheriff鈥檚 practices and a reconsideration of the agreement altogether.鈥� The complaint is here: /documents/aclu-complaint-to-dhs-office-for-civil-rights-and-civil-liberties-on-fredrick-county-sheriffs-office-and-287g-program