Sheriffs in Democratic strongholds partner with ICE to back Trump's deportation surge

President Donald Trump's return to the White House came with a commitment to resolve the United States' illegal immigration crisis. In response, Democratic state and city leaders scrambled to strengthen protections in their jurisdictions against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

Despite the left's campaign to thwart Trump's deportation efforts, sheriffs in conservative counties within those blue enclaves are seizing the opportunity to cooperate with federal immigration officials, particularly to deport illegal aliens charged with violent crimes.

'Those who will not help the federal government enforcing the immigration laws are un-American.'

Sheriff Bob Songer, Klickitat County, Washington: Defying 'unconstitutional' sanctuary laws

A Washington sheriff has repeatedly vowed to defy the state's "unconstitutional" sanctuary laws to help ICE remove dangerous illegal aliens.

Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, who describes himself as a "constitutional sheriff," stated that he would tell border czar Tom Homan to put him "on speed dial."

"You call me," Songer said in March. "We'll be there to assist ICE in a New York second. Because by doing that, we're protecting the citizens of our county."

During an interview with Fox News Digital, he pledged to "cooperate with ICE 100%."

He slammed the left for claiming that illegally entering the country is "a civil infraction."

"That's bull. It's a crime under federal law," Songer said.

He blamed the "Biden cartel" for "purposely" fueling the illegal immigration invasion by giving up on protecting the border.

"This is in my humble opinion: Those who will not help the federal government enforcing the immigration laws are unamerican," he remarked. "I would consider [them], [in] my personal opinion, enemies of the state."

RELATED: 40 sheriffs torch Biden-Harris’ open-border policies for unleashing crime and drugs on small-town America

Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images

Sheriff Chad Bianco, Riverside County, California: Taking on the state

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, elected in 2018, is leading the fight to end similar sanctuary policies in California by joining the City of Huntington Beach's lawsuit against the state, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Attorney General Rob Bonta.

The complaint, filed by America First Legal, argues that sanctuary policies "unlawfully shield illegal aliens, and threaten public safety."

Bianco told the Desert Sun that California's SB54 was "designed to protect criminals in jail from being deported."

California is reported to have the largest population of illegal immigrants, exceeding 2 million.

In February, Bianco announced his plans to run for governor to take Newsom's place. The sheriff argued that the state is "heading down the wrong track and has been for years."

"He's supposed to be the leader of this state," Bianco said of Newsom, who will not be running for reelection because of term limits. "The reality of Californians is, we all know this (increasing drug addiction, homelessness and property crime) is a mess. Everyone knows it's a mess, including Sacramento."

RELATED: Sheriff vows to break California's sanctuary law by alerting ICE about violent illegal aliens

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

Maryland sheriffs: Holding the line

State and local law enforcement agencies, including those in Democratic strongholds, can partner with ICE through the 287(g) program, which allows non-federal departments to "enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law."

This program, particularly under Trump's second administration, has kicked up controversy. County sheriffs in Maryland led a tense battle with local Democratic leaders to cooperate with ICE.

Sheriff's offices in Cecil, Frederick, and Harford Counties have had agreements with federal authorities for years, the Baltimore Banner reported. Just two months into Trump's second term, several more sheriff's offices — Carroll, Garrett, and Washington Counties — agreed to join ICE's 287(g) program.

Alarmed Democratic state lawmakers proposed House Bill 1222, the Public Safety - Immigration Enforcement (Maryland Values Act), which aimed to prohibit local law enforcement from entering into partnerships with ICE.

RELATED: Florida to increase number of officers who can help feds arrest illegal immigrants

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

The Maryland Sheriffs' Association criticized the bill, arguing that the ICE programs have provided "critical tools to prevent threatening individuals from re-entering our communities." The association contended that the legislation "undermines the authority of local jurisdictions."

"If the 287(g) program is not right for certain counties, they have the authority to choose not to enter into such agreements," the Maryland Sheriffs' Association stated. "HB 1222, however, imposes a one-size-fits-all mandate that strips local jurisdictions of their ability to make determinations that best serve the safety and well-being of their communities."

Democratic lawmakers passed a version of the bill, and the governor signed it into law in May. However, not before pushback — including a poll that found 75.7% of Maryland residents support local officials cooperating with ICE to remove illegal aliens who have committed additional crimes in the U.S. — prompted Democrats to remove prohibitions on the 287(g) program. The watered-down legislation allows the sheriffs to continue their partnerships with federal immigration officials, a significant victory for the sheriffs.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!