Fresno County’s Sheriff Meets Trump, Discusses California’s Immigration Policy

[Photo: Sheriff Margaret Mims]

FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Sheriff Margaret Mims and other California law enforcement and public officials met with President Trump on Thursday in the Nation’s capital.

“The President wanted to hear from all of us individually about the impacts of the Sanctuary State Law, and so that’s what we told him, said Sheriff Mims. “I was very grateful that he allowed law enforcement to be in the room because we’re the ones doing the work in the community.”

Sheriff Mims personally doesn’t agree with SB 54 but wants immigration reform.

“The President – one of his first things that he said we want people here based here on merit, who can… who have something to contribute,” said Sheriff Mims. “I believe that most of the immigrants we have here do contribute in a positive manner, in Fresno County, specifically, so we need to work on immigration reform, all out.”

 

[Photo: Sheriff Margaret Mims]

She says the resounding message is not anti immigrant but anti- crime.

“Well, the strategies we discussed was full disclosure with ICE,” said Sheriff Mims. “We need to not have restrictions on how we communicate with law enforcement partners.”

She wants to be able to tell ICE when there are admitted criminals behind bars.

[Photo: Sheriff Margaret Mims]

“This isn’t of course, the end of the story, this lawsuit by Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions is gonna work its way through the court. No matter what it, is the other side will appeal the first decision,” said Sheriff Mims. “This may end up going all the way to the Supreme Court, which means it’s gonna take some time. In the meantime, we, at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office will work very hard to protect all communities.”

 

Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern: