Letter: Leave federal law to the feds

We at Beaufort Indivisible are glad we helped spark a community discussion about Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner’s plan to add immigration enforcement powers to his deputies under the Homeland Security’s 287(g) program.

Beaufort Indivisible decided as a group to make our opposition to the 287(g) task force known in a visible way because we want everyone in the community to be aware of the sheriff’s plan.

Let me stress, we have utmost respect for our police officers, deputies and the sheriff himself. They have vitally important jobs and we support them 100 percent as they go about their daily duties that keep our community safe.

That is why we were very civil, calm and law-abiding during our protests last month. We did so to show our respect and gratitude to law enforcement even as we disagree with a policy the sheriff embraces.

Our object was, and continues to be, to ensure that county taxes and resources are used in the most efficient manner for services that can only be provided by our local law enforcement: responding to calls, investigating crimes and protecting us all hours of the day and night.

We remain concerned that diverting local resources to enforce federal immigration laws could reduce service levels, within the sheriff’s office or in other county departments, such as libraries or road maintenance.

Yes, violating immigration laws is a crime. So is failing to pay your taxes. We would like to leave enforcement of federal laws at the federal level.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Letter: Leave federal law to the feds."