Pinal County Attorney Announces Partnership with ICE for Enhanced Enforcement

Strategic Partnership with ICE

• 🤝 Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller announced a strategic partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287G enforcement program.
• 🎯 The goal is to protect Pinal County by directly partnering with ICE to combat crimes such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, domestic violence, and crimes against children.

Combating Criminal Activity

• ⚖️ The partnership aims to prosecute individuals who commit crimes in Pinal County, regardless of their location, emphasizing that "there are no sanctuary cities in Arizona."
• ⛓️ Human smuggling is explicitly called out as "modern-day slavery," and the office plans to pursue legislation to reflect this.
• 🚨 The focus will be on violent crimes, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, human smuggling, domestic violence, and crimes against children.

Addressing Political Opposition

• 🗣️ Miller criticized politicians, specifically mentioning Representative Ghalva and Congresswoman Ansari, for what he described as lies and manufactured outrage aimed at gaining attention and campaign funds.
• 🚫 He stated that being in the country illegally is a crime and that Pinal County "back[s] the blue," with no special treatment for elected officials.

Operational Details of 287G

• 🚓 The partnership involves the 287G enforcement program, which provides additional resources and access to databases for checking immigration status and potentially prosecuting individuals.
• 💰 The county will receive financial resources from the federal government to support hiring and operations related to this agreement.
• 🗺️ Investigators will participate in task forces to gain intelligence on community issues like drug flow and trafficking, serving as "eyes and ears" on the ground.

Legal and Due Process Considerations

• ✅ Miller asserted that all operations will adhere to legal standards and due process, with multiple checks, including a grand jury, to ensure compliance.
• 🎓 Investigators will undergo a 40-hour program on immigration law and participate in ride-alongs with ICE partners for deeper understanding.
• ❓ The county attorney's office will be able to make arrests as part of this program, with a focus on targeted individuals committing heinous crimes.