Update (Jun. 9):
The Cairo city council voted not to enter a 287(g) agreement with federal immigration authorities Monday night.
Neighbors crowded into the council chambers as members and police debated the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and the implications of their decision.
Cairo Police Chief Giovannie Santos said not entering into the agreement would mean the city would not be complying with state law and could mean the city would lose state and federal funding. He added DCA projects could also be cut.
"I personally do not agree with it, but I have to comply by the law. And there's a lot that's at stake here," Chief Santos said.
The chief added the city attempted to enter into a 287(g) agreement in 2024 after the state changed the law to require local law enforcement to comply and assist with immigration operations. Chief Santos says the city's application was denied that year due to a lack of federal funding for a task force.
The chief also argued the 287(g) agreement would allow the city to be aware of federal immigration operations, rather than being left in the dark when they perform a so-called "roundup".
Some neighbors responded saying they felt like members of their community were being hunted. Others said they did not think the task force model was effective and urged members to find more research and legal counsel before entering into the agreement.
"People are afraid," one neighbor said.
The police chief and council members said they were uncertain with how the state and federal government would respond to a vote against the MOA.
One council member argued that the police department was doing its due diligence to abide by the law, the city would hold liability for the consequences of the MOA. "We are in undocumented territory," he said. Similar to their meeting late last month, the council acknowledged that this situation involved several unknowns.
Neighbors applauded after the council ultimately decided to not to enter the MOA. Only one council member voted in favor.
Earlier:
The Cairo city council delayed entering into a 287(g) agreement with federal immigration agencies during their Wednesday meeting.
The proposed Memorandum of Agreement would involve the city police department, and it involves a task force working with the department. The Grady County Sheriff's Office previously entered into a 287(g) agreement.
Cairo Police Chief Giovannie Santos argued the MOA would ultimately be a benefit for the city.
He believes the MOA would lower the turnaround time for individuals having their immigration status checked. Santos also argued the agreement would make the department more aware of what he called federal immigration "roundups".
During the meeting, Santos said when federal immigration officers come into town,"We do not know they are here. We do not know who they take or where they take them." He argued the MOA would allow police to help neighbors who seek out the police department to get information about their loved one's whereabouts or immigration activities.
Under the agreement, Santos says the department could receive tens of thousands of dollars for officer training, equipment, and a vehicle, but he said none of the federal incentives will be available this year. Chief Santos also added that the money and equipment was not an incentive for him.
He says that if the city entered the agreement, one officer would be trained to perform limited immigration operations. Police would also not initiate any immigration duties unless requested, but the department would be obligated to comply with the request.
One commissioner also claimed the chief had the ability to withdraw from the agreement.
Chief Santos also said not entering the agreement could bring punishments, including the loss of federal funding.
One commissioner argued the city was dropping the ball by not coordinating with local agencies to be more aware of federal immigration operations in the county.
Another commissioner said the federal agents could still not disclose their operations even if the police department entered into the agreement.
At this point, it's unclear when the council will resume its discussion over the MOA and when a decision will be made.
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