JACKSON, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Jackson County is the first area in the state to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to check for immigration problems with those behind bars.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department signed an agreement on March 18 with ICE to be a part of the federal 287(g) Warrant Service Officer program. That program mandates special training for deputies who work in the jail. The training educates deputies on how to issue a 48-hour ICE hold on a jail inmate already facing criminal charges.

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The agreement does not allow deputies working road patrols to seek out people to arrest; the detainers only apply to people already in custody.

This collaboration with ICE and the Trump administration is the latest development in the federal government’s goal to secure the border and deport “the worst of the worst.”

As of April 3, 38 states actively participate in the agreement.

Corey Kennedy, is a Jackson County Commissioner and serves as the chairman of the Public Safety and Transportation Committee. He said he supports the deal.

“I believe that people who’ve committed a crime that warrants them being lodged in our county jail and have also violated USCIS immigration law by entering our nation illegally should certainly be transferred into federal officers’ custody rather than released back into the public on bond,” Kennedy said in a message to Michigan News Source. “It’s a common sense initiative and to just release them would be irresponsible and potentially dangerous to our county. I support the sheriff on this policy 100%.”

The American Immigration Council was critical of the program, according to a January report it published.

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“In the past, the 287(g) program has been costly for localities, has historically targeted individuals with little or no criminal history, and has harmed the relationship between police and local communities,” the American Immigration Council stated.