Hennepin County Sheriff says feds threatened to arrest her
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Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said federal immigration officials have threatened her with prosecution and arrest.
Witt posted Wednesday that authorities describe her crime as witness tampering.
“There is no legal basis for that claim because our office is following the law,” she wrote in her post.
The New York Times reported federal agents began to hand-deliver letters in early July to Witt and other sheriffs around the country. The letters state that failing to hand over inmates sought by ICE could result in witness tampering charges, according to a review of the letters by the paper.
“Those threats won't cause me to abandon my legal responsibilities or disregard the Constitution,” Witt posted on social media. “My focus remains on doing my job: protecting all residents of Hennepin County and keeping our communities safe. I will not stray from that mission in the face of intimidation.”
The paper also reported ICE officials are also threatening to arrest Tom Dart, the sheriff in Cook County, Illinois -- which includes Chicago.
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