A public hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning could determine whether Gallatin County formally approves its participation in a federal immigration enforcement agreement that has been in place for nearly six years.
The agreement at the center of the debate was signed in 2020 by then-Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Warrant Service Officer component of the federal 287(g) program.
Under that agreement, specially trained detention officers at the Gallatin County Detention Center are authorized to serve ICE administrative warrants on individuals who are already being held in the county jail. The program does not authorize local deputies to conduct immigration enforcement operations in the community. Instead, it applies to individuals who are already in custody.
The agreement has become the focus of a legal dispute over whether the Gallatin County Commission was required to approve the Memorandum of Agreement before the county could participate in the program.
As part of court proceedings before District Court Judge Rienne McElyea, county commissioners agreed to hold a public hearing to determine whether they wish to formally ratify and consent to the agreement. That hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, at 9 a.m.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer recently joined Dave Wooten on the KSKY Morning Show to discuss the agreement and the upcoming hearing.
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