May 17, 2025
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – On March 7, 2025, David Bindert, a Deportation Officer with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), extended an invitation to Dubuque County Sheriff Joseph Kennedy to become involved in the ICE 287(g) program. This program allows local law enforcement to engage in immigration enforcement tasks under the supervision of ICE. This expansion was influenced by President Trump’s Executive Order 14159, issued on January 20, 2025, which aims to bolster community safety by identifying and removing criminal aliens through various operational models, including the Jail Enforcement Model, Task Force Model, and Warrant Service Officer program.
In a response dated March 10, 2025, Sheriff Kennedy opted out of participating, expressing concerns over potential resource limitations. With the Dubuque County Jail’s 181 beds nearly at full capacity, housing 160 inmates even during the typically slower season, he anticipates further complications during the summer months. Kennedy mentioned that previous collaborations with larger agencies have often left local departments at a disadvantage and indicated that the jail has not housed federal inmates since the COVID-19 pandemic. While he conveyed no hostility towards ICE, he offered to assist with arrests but stressed that arrangements for alternative housing for detainees would need to be made by ICE.
Kennedy’s choice underscores the local priorities regarding resources while indicating his openness to work with ICE on specific cases as needed.
Source County Records
