The County's Role Enforcing Federal Immigration Policy? Mayoral Candidates Weigh In

By Eleanor Boudreau

Memphis, TN – As well as being the Republican in the Shelby County Mayor's race, Mark Luttrell is currently Shelby County Sheriff, so we'll start with his views on the role of local law enforcement in enforcing federal immigration policy.

"Local government cannot deport," Luttrell said. "Even if we wanted to, we cannot deport."

Luttrell said he thinks the federal government has abdicated its responsibility for leading on immigration in the past few years.

"Immigration, during the presidential race, was really the 3rd rail of politics--not either party wanted to really discuss it. So, we didn't have a real healthy debate," Luttrell said. "Which leaves those of us at the local level responsible for trying to come up with a system that meets our local needs."

Luttrell's opponent Democrat and Interim Mayor Joe Ford said, "We'll wait and see and whatever the federal government say we need to do, and the state say we need to do--we'll follow through."

There are two programs set up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for local law enforcement to use to identify illegal immigrants. Shelby County's law enforcement uses the one set up for areas with fewer illegal immigrants. Less than two percent of our jail is illegal immigrants. Nashville uses the other ICE program, about 10 percent of their jail is illegal immigrants.

The Hispanic population is the fastest growing segment of Shelby County.

Tennessee has at least one extra law on the books that could be applied to illegal immigrants--it's a misdemeanor to knowingly present a fake ID to get a job.