Carroll County closer to passing ICE funding line item

Published 5:00 am Saturday, September 19, 2026

BERRYVILLE – The Carroll County Quorum Court gathered for its September meeting on Tuesday. The divisive 287(g) program funding line item was back on the agenda after failing to pass last month. Once again, emotions ran high. Justices Bobby James and Aaron Hall were not present.

Ultimately, the ordinance designating a fund to receive the federal 287(g) money passed its first of three readings, with Justice Harrie Farrow the only vote in opposition. JPs Rivett, King and Rogers, who voted against it last month, changed their votes.

Public comments were more divided on the sheriff’s office’s participation in the ICE program than in August, with the court hearing from both supporters and opponents.

Once again, Carroll County residents, by turn, cautioned the court to consider the impact on the immigrant community of the CCSO’s involvement in immigration enforcement. Questions like, “Do we want to risk another Minneapolis?” were asked. The risk of losing tourists was mentioned.

“I don’t want my neighbors terrorized,” said one member of the public, a comment that seemed to encapsulate the opposition’s mood.

“Carroll County elected Daniel Klatt to be the sheriff of Carroll County, not an ICE agent,” said one citizen. He added, “I can almost guarantee that they probably won’t come get any of your family, but I can’t guarantee that they won’t come get some of mine!”

It was suggested in one comment that if money was at the heart of the issue, perhaps funding the sheriff’s office through other means would be better for the community. Taxing the Nimbus wind turbines was suggested. “The sheriff wouldn’t need this money so desperately, perhaps, if county coffers were in better shape,” commented one person.

Multiple people spoke this month in support of the ordinance. “Fearmongering” was what many of the ICE concerns amounted to, according to one supporter. The CCSO was badly underfunded and this money would help. “This money just needs a place to go,” they argued.

“They’re not going to come into your schools and take your children,” one commenter assured. Adding, “Those people that are against this are the same people calling 911 wanting the sheriff to come help them.”

The court heard from a resident who said he had served on a gang enforcement unit. He explained that the sheriff doesn’t have the resources to go out solely looking for undocumented immigrants. He doesn’t believe that the CCSO will use their authority to arrest families for the purpose of deportation.

Support for the sheriff was reiterated by other commenters, who believe him when he says his office is not out looking for the undocumented despite having the legal authority to do so.

Following public comments, Judge Writer gave Sheriff Klatt the opportunity to speak. “Everybody in this room agrees that they don’t want ICE here, right? Well, I agree with you,” Klatt said.

The 287g program was designed to keep ICE out of communities, Klatt explained. By giving his deputies the ability to run immigration status checks, ICE wouldn’t need to have a presence in the county. He pointed to Springdale as an example of what happens when a community turns down the 287(g) agreements. ICE shows up to provide immigration enforcement.

Klatt challenged the audience, “Has anybody noticed anything different since March?” Despite calls of “yes” from the audience, Klatt said the number of people turned over to ICE has decreased since they’ve signed on to the 287(g) programs.

“We’ve been doing this enforcement for the twenty-something years that I’ve been here,” the sheriff explained. “If I get out of that agreement, guess what’s going to change? Nothing, because we’re still going to be cooperating with ICE.” He explained that they have no choice. As soon as an undocumented person is entered into the system, ICE knows about it, Klatt said.

He reiterated how the sheriff’s office conducts status checks: “Our enforcement is done in the jail. We’re not running around town. We’re not grabbing people off the side of the road. If you’ve earned the right to get arrested and you go back to jail, it is our duty… we are going to ask your status. We are not running around playing ICE.”

He warned what the alternative would entail, “If you guys want ICE to come here, I can dump out all these agreements and say ‘have them all, boys.’ Or we can continue to do what we’ve been doing for 25 years.” In Klatt’s opinion, these agreements allow his office to conduct business as it has for the last 20 years while receiving more funding. To disregard the agreements would open the door for a more heavy-handed ICE enforcement.

“I’m asking the court to simply pass a line item,” Sheriff Klatt summarized.

He explained that the funding requiring the line item is for something he is legally required to do, and questioned whether the current meeting was the appropriate place to debate the 287(g) agreements.

An outburst directed at the sheriff from a member of the public drew a rapid succession of gavel strikes from Judge Writer and an admonishment that, “This is not a town hall meeting.” He added that, “You don’t have the right to talk from the gallery unless I give it to you.”

The admonished said that the sheriff was “talking to us,” and as such, felt obligated to respond. The sheriff said that he was talking to everyone.

Another member of the public spoke out in agreement with the admonished, before receiving their own admonishment. That individual left the court, escorted by a deputy, after the judge ordered, “Get him out of here.”

JP Farrow took umbrage at repeated interruptions from other justices while she was speaking. Those who interrupted her complained that she was repeating arguments she’d already made or that didn’t apply to the line item. Farrow defended their relevance and reminded the justices that only the judge could tell her to stop speaking, not her fellow JPs. Judge Writer made no comment on the matter.

In other quorum court happenings, Justice Deaton announced that he’d received a reply from the Attorney General confirming that public comments weren’t required at committee meetings. As such, the Large Industrial and High Impact Projects committee will no longer have a period for public comment.

Additionally, an ordinance regulating exotic animals and vicious dogs passed its first of three readings with a unanimous vote from the JPs present. The ordinance outlines proper enclosure requirements for such animals and establishes penalties for violations.