The Biden Administration and the ACLU have placed undue restrictions on the housing of ICE detainees. These restrictions are above and beyond what any ordinary detainee would receive if they were a citizen. When an ICE fugitive is arrested, they are turned over to ICE. However, the intentionally impossible restrictions are deliberately there to place an undue burden on local sheriffs. If they agree and fail, the counties are on the hook for the lawsuits brought on by the ACLU, who is eager to go after anyone they get an excuse to pursue. Local Sheriffs have been reaching out to Utah's federal delegation on this issue for some time now.
In an effort to embarrass and intimidate county sheriffs, the ICE officials in the Biden Administration, pushing their radical open borders agenda, put out a memo in May labeling Utah as a sanctuary state for sheriffs not capitulating to the far left. So, what does Staggs do? Staggs didn't call out the Biden Administration for the undue burdens being placed on county sheriffs. Instead, Staggs actively released a statement attacking county sheriffs and supporting the Biden Administration's efforts to tarnish and smear them. Rather than calling out Joe Biden and the ACLU, Staggs cites "a lack of cooperation from local authorities". Who are these "local authorities"? They are Utah's elected sheriffs. What does this "lack of cooperation" refer to? It's not capitulating to Joe Biden and the ACLU's extremist efforts to hamstring local law enforcement. This stance aligns with Romney marching with BLM to smear law enforcement in 2020. Staggs is championing the far-left's anti-police agenda.
In contrast, Brad Wilson, who is also running for the GOP nomination for Senate, joined others in Utah's government in calling out the Biden Administration's efforts to smear Utah's elected sheriffs. Shortly after being called out by Brad Wilson, the Biden administration rescinded their attack on Utah's elected sheriffs. ICE then released a follow-up statement clarifying that Utah was not a "sanctuary state".
Trent Staggs aligns with Joe Biden and the ACLU in attacking Utah. Staggs is emulating the senator he wants to replace, Mitt Romney. Not only did he attack Trump on the eve of his announcement, but like Romney, he is siding with Joe Biden and the radical left against Utah.
https://utahsheriffsassociation.com/the-utah-sheriffs-association-responds-to-uninformed-political-statements/?fbclid=IwAR03U6ev3cELG4uv7C3ypfPbUgoejCOO4v7nBRgIzJBk4YtxwKVoeP_7fxQ
https://house.utleg.gov/utah-leaders-respond-to-ice-office-memo/?fbclid=IwAR04rdn8aV0oO3iXERpJfLbzsRqR-Q7SmkHL6HBniTmzqUhdCxVeQxcT6Bw