PC “Sanctuary County” listing unfounded
An organization broadcasting misinformation has Perkins County residents, as well as many other Nebraska residents feeling alarmed.
According to Perkins County Sheriff Jim Brueggeman, a list published by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) included Perkins County as a “Sanctuary County” and Brueggeman says that is not the case, calling it “really inaccurate.”
Brueggeman said that the county attorneys office, the county commissioners and himself are working diligently to get Perkins County removed from this list that has increased in circulation among the public following an article in the Hayes County News earlier this month.
Commissioner Mark Bottom agreed the issue does need to be corrected with the public, “at the risk of validating this, because I don’t believe it has any real significance other than the traction its got,” he said.
Brueggeman says he has been in touch with several surrounding sheriffs offices as well as the local ICE office in North Platte, adding “We are not the only ones who are unhappy to be on the list.”
Bottom said of CIS, “They have no authority to designate us like they did, they just can by virtue of their freedom to compile their research, which in my opinion wasn’t even thorough research, and put it out there if they want to.”
Brueggeman noted upon his review of the over 20-page document CIS obtained from ICE, and used for the publication is not an official document and says “DRAFT” on the bottom of it.
Brueggeman stated “We have always complied with ICE, even our local agent doesn’t understand how CIS came up with this, and knows he’s had multiple reports from PC.”
Commissioner Bottom made comment during the Sept. 16 meeting that he remembers Perkins County working with ICE even back when he was in the sheriffs office from 1994 - 2006, indicative that this is not new for Perkins County, law enforcement has been dealing with it for several years, and the protocol hasn’t changed.
“I have arrested people and taken them and turned them over to ICE, so I know for a fact we are not a sanctuary county,” Bottom said.
“This has caused quite a stir not only here in our community of Perkins County, but in these other counties that are also listed. Everyone is very concerned,” Brueggeman said.
Brueggeman wants the community to trust that the protocol has not and will not change here, and undocumented immigrants are not invited to come to Perkins County as a sanctuary county.
“Perkins County is not a sanctuary county, and should the PC sheriff’s department come across individuals who are not here legally, they will be incarcerated in the Keith County Jail and ICE will be notified, and it is up to them to determine if they need a detainer or where to go from there, as we always have done,” Sheriff Brueggeman said.
The Perkins County Commissioners have already had discussion on forming a resolution if they can not get this remedied with CIS.
“CIS is supposed to be sending a checklist of requirements to Lincoln County who will distribute it to some of us smaller surrounding offices so we can see what we need to do to get CIS to remove us from that list,” Brueggeman said.
“We are attempting to address this and we are looking for a formal way to let this group know they have us misplaced,” Bottom added.
The process has been daunting, Sheriff Brueggeman said he’s already spent a lot of time on this over the last couple of weeks, but he said he is committed to correcting this and setting the record straight that Perkins County is not a sanctuary county and will not be in the foreseeable future.
Commissioner Steve Tucker encourages community members who are concerned to call state congressmen and state senators and request their help in resolving this matter state wide.
The complete list of 21 Nebraska counties included on the CIS’s list of sanctuary counties were: Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Douglas, Gosper, Grant, Greeley, Hayes, Howard, Johnson, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Nance, Perkins, Platte, Sioux, Thomas, and Wheeler.