Atmospherics

Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries wants to give some of his officers extra arrest powers. Working within a program already in place by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcemnt (ICE),  those officers would have the power to arrest people for immigration violations if they are also charged with serious felonies or driving while intoxicated. The arrest powers could be used only in those officers' normal course of duty, according to ICE regulations. Fries said it would apply to all illegal immigrants. This worries "a leader in the local Hispanic Community":

. . . similar attempts nationwide have created a very “adverse atmosphere” for immigrants, which has driven away taxpayers and businesses and created “great confusion among minorities and immigrants that fear to report crimes to the authorities