McHenry County Board Will Keep ICE Agreement

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Board voted Tuesday to keep its U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract and will continue to house detainees at the county jail, according to media reports.

A resolution to cancel the agreement failed 8-15, according to Shaw Media. Board member Joe Gottemoller said calls to nix the contract will not help with the issues surrounding the country's immigration system.

“Removing this contract will not solve that problem,” Gottemoller said. “This County Board doesn’t have the ability to solve the immigration problem in this country.”

Those in favor of cancelling the agreement say the board's vote could cause a ripple effect that propels others to release detainees, according to the article.

“ICE has become a fascistic enterprise, that is the fact of the matter,” said Huntley resident Peter Atterberg during the packed McHenry County Board meeting Tuesday, the Northwest Herald is reporting. “No one is saying we shouldn’t have immigration laws. We definitely should. That is common sense. Every nation should.

The Northwest Herald reports that he went on to say: "But what we are asking the board to dotoday is vote with your conscience and do what’s right. Those are human beings in there being detained because they came here for a better life. What is more American than fleeing persecution for a better life?”

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