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State and federal leaders in South Carolina are accusing Charleston County’s Democratic sheriff of adopting “sanctuary policies” which “embolden criminal illegal aliens” – and place residents of the Palmetto Lowcountry in danger. Specifically, they’ve accused Charleston sheriff Kristin Graziano of refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials when it comes to processing detainer requests for criminal aliens.
What is a detainer?
“Detainers are an effective tool in keeping criminals out of local communities by allowing ICE officers to take custody of criminal non-citizens within the confines of a jail,” the agency noted. “Notifying ICE of the upcoming release of an non-citizen who has been arrested for a criminal violation unrelated to their immigration status underscores the importance of information sharing between partners who ultimately share the same goal – to serve and protect our communities.”
According to the agency, “when law enforcement agencies fail to honor immigration detainers and release serious criminal offenders onto the streets, it undermines ICE’s ability to protect public safety and carry out its mission.”
Has Graziano been undermining ICE? And undermining Lowcountry public safety?
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“We just demanded ALL communications from the sheriff of Charleston County for turning a blind eye to criminal illegal immigrants in South Carolina,” congresswoman Nancy Mace of Charleston wrote on X on Tuesday afternoon (September 24, 2024).
Also on Tuesday, state representative Jordan Pace penned a letter to Graziano seeking similar information from her agency.
“Recently, accusations that your office has been violating state law regarding illegal immigrants have been brought to my attention,” Pace wrote. “As I’m sure you’re aware, since 2011 it has been unlawful in South Carolina for municipalities to refuse to cooperate with (ICE) regarding illegal or undocumented immigrants.”
“No part of South Carolina should be a sanctuary for illegal immigration,” Pace added on X.
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Criminal illegal aliens have been pouring across the border over the past three years as part of the broader collapse of our nation’s territorial integrity. This deepening crisis has become a dominant issue in the 2024 presidential election, with former president Donald Trump vowing aggressive corrective action in the event he is returned to the White House.
Vice president and 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris – America’s “border czar” since March 2021 – has proposed a radically different approach. According to Harris, the federal government should provide “a roadmap to citizenship” for illegal aliens.
Earlier in the day, Mace blasted Graziano for allegedly attempting to turn “Charleston County into a sanctuary jurisdiction.”
“Under your leadership, (CCSO) has refused to provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with adequate hold time to assume custody of illegal aliens and refused to provide ICE with notification you have an illegal alien in custody prior to their release,” Mace wrote (.pdf). “In fact, Charleston County has been recognized as a non-cooperative institution by ICE. In other words, you are purposefully and systematically allowing criminal illegal aliens to roam free in Charleston County and surrounding areas. You are purposefully putting local residents at risk, adults and children alike.”
According to the second-term congresswoman, Graziano has been “using the office of sheriff of Charleston County to advance a far-left agenda which puts illegal aliens over the safety of our communities and our state.”
In a terse response, Graziano accused Mace of engaging in “performative politics.”
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“We do not and have never released a detainee without a judge’s order,” Graziano said in a statement provided to local media outlets. “We currently have 13 individuals housed in our facility that are on a hold by an immigration judge. We have never refused an order from a judge, and the ICE officers are the ones responsible for obtaining those orders. Mace has a history of mischaracterizing events for her perceived political benefit, and this letter is particularly egregious. I suggest that she turn her focus to the people of the Lowcountry and do what she does best – whatever that may be. She needs to let our law enforcement professionals do their job.”
Mace fired back at Graziano, saying the sheriff’s response acknowledged that “she refuses to honor ICE detainer requests unless other conditions are met and cites (sheriff’s) department policy as her justification for doing so.”
“Sanctuary Sheriff Kristin Graziano cannot justify her morally reprehensible sanctuary policies endangering the lives of South Carolinians,” Mace said. “Instead of taking accountability for her actions, she has decided to engage in a personal attack against me and deflect from the simple truth: Sanctuary Sheriff Graziano has chosen to release criminal illegal aliens – including an alleged pedopile – into our community.
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THE LETTER…
(Nancy Mace)
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This election season, be sure you Prep for the Polls by checking your voter registration information, polling location and sample ballot at scVOTES.gov. The State Election Commission does not have editorial review or approval of any political coverage; any content posted by FITSNews does not reflect the opinion of the State Election Commission.
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This election season, be sure you Prep for the Polls by checking your voter registration information, polling location and sample ballot at scVOTES.gov. The State Election Commission does not have editorial review or approval of any political coverage; any content posted by FITSNews does not reflect the opinion of the State Election Commission.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the owner and founding editor of FITSNews. Prior to founding his own news outlet, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina, bass guitarist in an alternative rock band and bouncer at a Columbia, S.C. dive bar. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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5 comments
The people of Charleston County replaced one of the greatest Sheriffs in the nation with her. Obviously there is a democrat problem in Charleston County.
So true. Sheriff Cannon was a true lawman.
So, does the sheriff have conflicting guidance, with ICE requesting a detainer and a judge ordering release? Are the blowhard politicians going after the wrong target?
This is just more GOPBS. The Republicans are facing a serious opponent in November. They do not think they can reach any more undecided voters, so they are going full-on racism, in an attempt to get more racists to the polls. Both their national and state message is, vote for us and we will round up all the nigg&*s and Hispanics and send them somewhere, maybe Venezuela. But we will make America white again.
Oh, and we will protect our white women from dirty black and brown people who are running rampant in the streets. I mean Moms can’t even walk across the street without being raped. We live in a Mad Max hell hole and we can fix that.
These people are disgusting.
Now, I will give you that Nancy Mace is a leader. However, the title of your article refers to “state and national leaders” which is concerning when you reference Jordan Pace. As a low country sympathizer, my friends tell me that he is an empty suit who hasn’t ever accomplished anything. The kid has an inflated ego based on nada- not a damn thing. Dear God, find someone with gravitas, intelligence, and a track record to support us. He is an Allie of RJ May, the guy who had his house raided by Homeland Security and SLED for, as you put in your article, child exploitation material. Isn’t he one of the ones who signed on to the death penalty for women who have an abortion even when it endangers the life of the mother, rape or incest? Reagan is turning over in his grave. Dump the dude.