By MIKE KRAFCIK
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Knox County Sheriff J.J. Jones spoke Wednesday about the immigration program that was the subject of protests Tuesday in downtown.
Under the 287(g) program, local authorities can do more to scrutinize the immigration status of people arrested and held in jails.
Immigration rights groups and those detained Tuesday are urging Sheriff Jones to stop requesting implementation of the program.
During Tuesday's demonstration, three people were cited for blocking traffic on Gay Street.
Frances Ansley, 66, a retired University of Tennessee law professor was among those cited. The others were Maria De Vesus Huerta, 65, of Haywood, Calif., and Maricela Lou, 52, of Memphis. The three women were briefly detained, then released. Two of those detained are undocumented.
"My message to J.J. Jones is stop the situation, stop separating families," Huerta said.
Alejandro Guizar, 19, of Knoxville, was the only member of the group who was arrested because he had no form of identification, according to the Knoxville Police Department.
"I'm not afraid to follow the legacy of Gandhi and MLK over nonviolent ways to get the attention of our government and to change the policy that affects our community," Guizar said.
The sheriff's office applied for a federal grant in 2009. It would provide training for deputies to enforce immigration laws for those who are arrested.
Sheriff Jones says he's still waiting to review the program's memorandum of understanding before he will meet with members of the public.
"We have not received the memorandum of understanding from Immigration and Customs Enforcement yet. When we do, we'll sit down with these individuals and we'll talk about whether it's right for this community or not," Sheriff Jones said.
Guizar says he's lived in Knoxville for 10 years. Earlier this year, he was arrested for public intoxication. The charges we're dropped, but he faces deportation charges. "Yesterday, I stood up for what I believe. I faced my fears," he said.
"As far as 287 is concerned, if you don't break a law or come to our detention facility, 287(g) will not affect you in any way," the sheriff said.
However, the activists aren't satisfied with what Sheriff Jones is saying about the program. "If he is considering signing a program like that, we're going to be here to tell them about it," Guizar said.
The group No Papers No Fear Riders is making a nationwide bus tour. They started in Arizona in late July and will finish at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next week.
Last week, the Davidson County Sheriff's Office announced it would end its participation in the 287(g) program. Instead, it will switch to the Secure Communities system, automatically screening fingerprints of foreign-born arrestees.
Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall says 287(g) has been so successful, it's no longer needed.
"We have not received the memorandum of understanding from Immigration and Customs Enforcement yet. When we do, we'll sit down with these individuals and we'll talk about whether it's right for this community or not," Sheriff Jones said.
