Letter to the editor: Sheriff’s ICE deal means risk and cost for Portage County

Editor’s note: The Portager publishes letters to the editor from the community. The opinions expressed are published not because they necessarily reflect those of the publication but because we feel they contribute meaningfully to the local discourse on matters of public interest.

As a taxpayer in Portage County, I am deeply concerned about the recent agreement between our sheriff’s office and ICE. At a time when county commissioners admit there is not much extra money in the budget, we are committing local resources to enforce federal immigration law with little transparency and no clear plan to cover the costs.

According to the agreement, Portage County, not ICE, will bear most of the financial burden. Yet officials have declined to answer basic questions about how this will be paid for. That is not just troubling. It is fiscally irresponsible.

Even worse, this opens the door to costly lawsuits. Immigration attorneys and defense lawyers have warned that if deputies detain someone without solid evidence, the county could be held liable. Legal battles are expensive, and taxpayers will be the ones left paying.

This is not about politics. It is about accountability. Our sheriff’s office is taking on risky new responsibilities with unclear costs and legal exposure. Voters and taxpayers deserve real answers before those risks turn into real consequences.

— Marc Kirby, Kent