County Commissioner, Sheriff disagree over proposal to end federal inmate contract

An El Paso County Commissioner and the El Paso County Sheriff are at odds following a proposal by Commissioner Vince Perez to end El Paso County’s contract with the U.S. Marshal’s Office.

Perez wants to end the contract and no longer hold federal inmates at El Paso County jails.

Perez’s proposal is in response to President Donald Trump’s “Zero-Tolerance” policy and the separation of immigrant parents from their children. President Trump last week signed an executive order ending the separation for families, but Perez believes the damage has already been done and the County needs to stand its ground.

“I find this policy incredibly inhumane,” Perez said. “I find it cruel and it’s not something that our county should be facilitating.”

The County Commissioner argues the County cannot denounce the separation of families, yet still take federal money to jail immigrants.

Perez says that since the policy went into effect, the El Paso County jail has seen an increase of about 30% in federal inmates.

“I think the County’s position is very problematic. I think it’s indefensible,” Perez said. “You can not have it both ways. You can not be against the enforcement of federal immigration laws and say that we will detain them in our jails. You can not be against the separation of children and yet be ok with detaining their parents.”

Sheriff Richard Wiles, also at Thursday’s meeting, disagrees with Perez’s proposal. Wiles told ABC-7 the County receives about $80 a day per federal inmate and that not all of the inmates are there for immigration offenses.

Last year, Wiles said the County made $22-million housing federal inmates and it goes beyond finances. Ending the contract, Wiles says, will put 280 jobs at risk and federal inmates would end up in worse facilities and farther away from necessary services.

“We’re doing the best we can. And putting those individuals in our jail in a worse situation to accomplish what I believe is a personal agenda by one of our commissioners is inappropriate, it’s not right.” Wiles said.

Wiles is standing by his department and says he has a job to do. “They (federal inmates) come in the front door, they (U.S. Marshals) give me a warrant, they clear medical, we accept them, that’s my job and I’m going to do my job,” Wiles said.