The Chatham County Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 Monday to rescind a resolution adopted two years ago that opposed local governmental agencies assisting  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcing federal immigration laws.



In a release, county commissioners Chairman Brian Bock says the 2009 resolution expressed an opinion on local law enforcement that the current board majority does not share.

"The majority feels that it is important for the Sheriff's Office to be able to perform its mission of enforcing laws, including those related to illegal immigration, without pressure to do otherwise from the Board of Commissioners," Bock says.

The federal 287(g) program trains county officers to check the immigration status of every person arrested. At the time of the 2009 resolution, it was being used in seven of the biggest metropolitan areas of the state, including Wake and Durham counties.

"Our county has been blessed with a diverse population for much of its existence," then commissioners Chairman George Lucier said at the time. "This has included people of color and immigrants, who were not always American citizens or documented residents. All of these residents have enriched our economy, our character and our culture as well."

The 287(g) is supposed to remove dangerous criminals from the streets, but a state legislative committee found that many ICE detentions were for traffic violations. In opposing the program two years ago, county officials also cited concerns that immigrants in communities with ICE agreements are reluctant to report crimes, because they fear that they or family members could be detained.