In his response to U.S. Department of Justice allegations of discrimination against Latinos, Alamance County Attorney Clyde Albright notes another federal agency was overseeing Sheriff Terry Johnson’s implementation of the 287(g) program — the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement:

“Our review of the data provided to your attorneys, including the results of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement audits, suggests that many of your conclusions are over-broad, potentially over-reaching and statistically incorrect,” Albright stated. “As you are aware, ICE had conducted numerous annual audits of the Sheriff’s Department over the past several years and has most recently stated that the Sheriff is running a 287 (g) program that is a ‘model program’ for the United States.”

…Albright stated that ICE interviewed jail staff, reviewed records and even interviewed detainees in the jail and found no evidence of a deeply rooted culture of discriminatory conduct. ICE’s findings over a period of years of audits are directly opposite to the conclusions set forth in the DOJ memorandum statement, stated Albright.

As a result of DOJ’s allegations, the Department of Homeland Security has terminated the 287(g) program with the sheriff’s department, which in turn eliminates the need for audits and oversight.